Boys Before Flowers: How It Should Have Ended (A JiHoo & JanDi story)
by cutestuff024
Summary: This story is what I imagined happened in the 4 years Jun Pyo and Jan Di were apart, and then continued on to when he got back. I tried my best to bridge it with the KDrama Boys Over Flowers to give it continuation, and I wrote it based on how Jan Di was when she met Jun Pyo again. This is how it should have ended! P.S. I do ship Ji Hoo / Jan Di.
1. Chapter 1

**How It Should Have Ended: A B** **oys Over Flowers Fanfiction Story**

 **#jihoo #jandi #boysoverflowers #boysbeforeflowers #jihoojandi**

A Fanfiction Story

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, places or photos. I did not like how Boys Over Flowers ended so I decided to continue the story. This story occurs in the 4 years that Jun Pyo and Jan Di were apart, and then what happened after they met on the beach. I know some of my timing was off (re: medical school, Ji Hoo's Grandfather's clinic being closed) and I was going to change it, but now I have no time so please just enjoy this without that lining up! (Also, I was guessing on the whole medical school, clinical, residency thing). Other than that, I tried to merge it with the Kdrama as much as possible. This is my first time ever writing something like this, but I hope you guys like it! If you like it, please write a review. I would appreciate knowing someone else read this and enjoyed it! Thank you!

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

Jan Di couldn't sleep at all. She tossed and turned in bed. It had been a month since Jun Pyo left for New York. She missed him terribly. They were not able to spend a lot of time together since they started 'dating'. Before, his mother had done every possible thing to tear them apart. After Jun Pyo's accident, she seemed to have backed off a little, though Jan Di could tell she still wasn't so keen in having her for a future daughter-in-law. Now that they had no major obstacles to be together, Jun Pyo decided to leave to make a name for himself (or to be "an even greater Jun Pyo" as he called it). He tried very hard to persuade her to go with him. He could always visit, of course, but he had enrolled in University in New York to study Business Management, and he promised his mother to repair whatever damage they had caused the last few months...which meant business meetings in his spare time. Jan Di sighed heavily. Four years would be a long time to be apart.

Jun Pyo complained that she could just study in New York and he could cover all her expenses. She adamantly declined his help, though. While she agreed with him that it would be hard, she informed him that she needed to follow her dream, too. She wanted to make something of herself – something that he would be proud of. And she wanted to do it on her own.

Jun Pyo had reluctantly agreed. After all, wasn't that what he was doing also? So they bid each other farewell with the promise that they would call each other every day.

Jan Di sat up in bed. The past week had been ridiculously busy. She was preparing for her first year in Medical school. It had been a miracle that she even got in. She remembered barely sleeping those last few weeks before she took her CSAT. In the end, her hard work paid off and she got accepted. She remembered how proud she was to receive her letter of acceptance. It made her feel like she had made the right decision. Best of all, she did it all by herself.

Well, sort of.

Ji Hoo sunbae had been there, of course. There were several times when she almost gave up, but every time she was on the verge of giving up, he showed up to offer her encouragement, or to lend his assistance, mostly in the form of tutoring sessions.

Jan Di thought of the week of her CSAT. She often forgot to eat because she was so stressed. She spent most of her days in the library. She would often be surprised to find a brown paper bag with her name on it at her desk. Most of the time, she never even noticed him drop it off – but she often found food, a carton of milk and encouraging notes inside (sunbae often wrote "Fighting!" with a smiley face on her lunch bags). And oftentimes when she stayed at the library too late, she found him waiting outside on his bike to give her a ride home.

She smiled as she thought of her sunbae. She would never have survived the last 2 years without him. And knowing that he would be there for her during the coming 4 years gave her strength.

Jan Di sighed. She can do this. The four years would go by fast. Before she knew it, Jun Pyo would be back, and they would probably get married. Then they would never be apart again.

It was just 4 years, right?

She's got this.

...

The first few weeks of medical school went by as a blur. Jan Di's head was spinning. Between school and her part time job at the Porridge restaurant, she barely had time to herself. She considered quitting her part time job, but Master had been so good and so flexible with her schedule that she felt bad about it. Plus, she needed some spending money. Even though she got a scholarship at the University (another unexpected miracle that happened to her), she wanted to have some money for herself. Besides, lately showing up at the Porridge restaurant mainly involved "catching up" with Ga Eul. Ga Eul had also kept her job there at the restaurant, even though she was busy studying to be a teacher. Often those were the only times they even saw each other. Master didn't mind if they just sat at the restaurant and studied, or gossiped. Though he often complained that he needed to hire new workers who actually did some work, he often said this with a smile on his face so they always just laughed it off.

She was coming out of her last class of the day when she saw her sunbae walking towards her.

"Sunbae!" she exclaimed, a smile spreading on her face.

He walked slowly towards her with his hands in his pockets. His copper colored hair reached his shoulders now. He was wearing a white coat, light blue sweater, and khaki colored pants. He looked great as usual.

"How was class?" he asked, as he smiled back.

"Good," she answered. "But I think I'm going to have to pull another all-nighter."

Ji Hoo studied her closely. "You know, you're going to look like a panda if you keep this up."

"Pandas are cute though, right?" she asked with a grin.

Ji Hoo grinned back. "To other pandas, probably." He looked around, noticing other students staring at them. "Did you eat yet? I'm hungry."

Jan Di considered this for a moment. "I should probably go study…" she began, but then her stomach made a loud grumbling noise. She put a hand on her stomach and made a face.

Ji Hoo laughed. "Come on, I know a place you'd love."

He took her to a quaint little noodle place just a 10-minute drive from campus. It was neither posh nor a dive, and had just the right atmosphere for Jan Di to feel comfortable eating in. The noodles were delicious. She slurped them up hungrily.

They made small talk during dinner, mostly complaining about school. Finally, he asked her about Jun Pyo.

Jan Di was silent for a moment. Truth be told, they had been talking less and less lately. In the beginning it was all excited chatter – how their day was, what they ate, things like that. But talking about school and work every single day was hard to keep excited about. The time difference was no help either. Oftentimes when they talked he would either be getting ready to start his day and she would be getting ready for bed, or vice versa. They seemed to always be exhausted by the time their calls came. She just told herself that this was normal. That they'd be back together before she knew it.

"He's doing really well. He's enjoying learning more about the business, and is trying hard to stay his great self." She forced a smile.

Ji Hoo nodded. "I've been trying to keep in touch with him, too. He messages me now and again, although it's mostly to ask about how you're doing."

"Oh?" She arched an eyebrow. "Are you his spy now? And what did you tell him?"

He pretended to think for a minute. Finally, he said, "I told him that Geum Jan Di is still Geum Jan Di – strong, persevering and extremely stubborn."

She hit him playfully on the shoulder. He laughed and they spent the rest of dinner complaining about school.

Ji Hoo took her straight home after dinner so she could study some more.

"Sunbae!" she called, as he was about to leave.

He cocked his head to the side and looked at her.

"Thank you," she said, simply. "For everything. I don't know what I would do without you."

Ji Hoo smiled, nodded, and then said, "I promised Jun Pyo I'd look after you."

With that, he rode off.

...

Ji Hoo laid on the bed staring at the ceiling. His thoughts had been a jumbled mess lately. Between medical school, helping out at Grandfather's clinic, and working at the Art Center, things had been a little stressful for him. He hardly napped during the day anymore. Some days he wondered if going into medical school was the right choice. His grades were not a problem, of course. He had always found school easy. But he loved playing music – it was his therapy, and he seriously considered a career in it.

Grandfather approached him one morning and asked if he could take over the clinic one day. He immediately said no. People made him uncomfortable. But when Jan Di mentioned that she wanted to get into medical school, he gave it another thought. Though he hated to admit it, a part of him did enjoy helping out at the clinic. It was outside his comfort zone, but it also made him feel…useful. It gave him a purpose. He just needed to get used to being around people all the time.

You would think that after all these years with F4 he would be used to socializing, but oftentimes he let the others take the attention and often tried to find a quiet place to be alone. His F4 brothers were the only friends he ever had growing up, but even so, he couldn't really say he felt 100% comfortable around them. Whenever he felt stressed or overwhelmed, he turned to his music. Most people thought he was a snob - where in truth he was just an introvert (and slightly autistic), so he avoided human interaction when he could. Only the F4 knew about his personality. So even though he didn't always agree with what they did or thought of as fun (especially with Jun Pyo picking on people he deemed deserving of it), he always just stood by and watched from the sidelines. Besides, there was no arguing with Jun Pyo.

That was, until he met Geum Jan Di.

He still couldn't believe she had the courage to stand up to Jun Pyo like she did. It surprised him and aroused his curiosity as well. He tried to protect her as subtly as he could, but the more he did so, the more Jun Pyo was determined to ruin her.

 _Geum Jan Di._

He sighed and put his hands on his head. Sometimes he thought of what would have happened if he had never gone after Min Seo Hyun. Would he be with Jan Di right now? A part of him wished it, but the sensible part of him knew that if he had never gone after Seo Hyun, he would most likely still be pining for her right now. He was glad _that_ part of his life was over. Seo Hyun still checked up on him once in a while, but he knew he was over his love for her. His heart now belonged to Jan Di – another woman who could never be his. He'd be lying if he said he never wished for her to return his feelings, but he wasn't delusional to think she would. And Jun Pyo was not only his closest friend, but he owed him his life. He promised himself he would not come between them. He wanted to start keeping his distance from Jan Di, because he knew one day her and Jun Pyo would get married, and then she would have no need of him anymore. But Jun Pyo made him promise to look after her before he left. He thought Jun Pyo had lost his mind at first, but his best friend insisted he trusted her with no one other than him so he relented.

Not that he minded it at all anyway.

 _Perfect._ He thought, miserably. Jun Pyo would be gone for four years...which meant he had 4 years with Geum Jan Di. He would make those 4 years count. He would be there for her. Being with her made him feel happy. Alive. It helped him come out of his shell a little. He had done so many things he never would have thought of doing if it wasn't for her. So even though deep down he knew he was setting himself up for a lifetime of pain, he would endure it.

For her. For him. He would treasure every moment he spent with her and just try to keep his feelings locked in a box.

Grandfather knocked softly on his door.

"Come in, Grandfather," he called.

His grandfather came in holding a tray with a teapot and two cups in it.

"Couldn't sleep either eh?" His grandfather looked thoughtfully at him.

He nodded softly, and then he got up from the bed and helped his grandfather put the tray on his bedside table. He started pouring the tea into the cups as his grandfather sat on a chair.

"How're things going with you? I haven't seen you much lately."

"I'm sorry, Grandfather. I've been busy with school and the art center lately." He sipped his tea, noting for a second what kind it was. Chamomile, he surmised. The calming tea. The sleep inducer. Grandfather must have noticed he hadn't been sleeping much lately.

"Have you thought about what you wanted to specialize in?"

He _had_ thought about it. "Pediatrics, maybe." People made him uncomfortable, but little kids were not so bad.

His grandfather raised an eyebrow. Then, after a few seconds, he nodded. "I think that is a good choice for you."

Grandfather took a slow sip of his tea. "How's Geum Jan Di doing?"

At the mention of her name, Ji Hoo's face livened up.

"She complains about all the work and studying she has to do, but she really loves it." He started talking about her with a smile on his face, bringing up funny incidents that happened to her in class now and then. "I think she might really become a doctor one day."

Grandfather watched his grandson as he spoke, nodding his head as he listened attentively. He could tell his grandson still harbored feelings for her, and he knew that Ji Hoo would never act on those feelings again. It pained him to know this, but he knew there was nothing he could do. It was between Ji Hoo and Jan Di. He stood up and gave his grandson a hug before stepping out of his room and closing the door.

 _My Ji Hoo_ , he thought. _I hope you find the happiness you so greatly deserve_.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Jan Di was running late for class. She had stayed up most of the night studying for her exam, and she had missed her alarm. As she was getting on her bike she noticed her tires were flat.

"Why?" she screamed out loud. "Of all the days you had to do this to me, you had to pick TODAY?"

She waved her arms around in frustration. "How dare you do this! You...arrggghhh!" She yelled, panic rising through her. She could take the bus, she supposed, but it would not be coming for another 15 minutes. She turned to her bike again, narrowing her eyes. "If I miss my exam, you'll be in big trouble!"

"I don't think it's going to answer you back," a voice called out.

She turned around and saw Ji Hoo there, watching her with amusement in his eyes. She flushed red, embarrassed.

"Sunbae..." she began.

"Well, hurry up," he beckoned her over. "You'll be late. You can apologize to your bike later."

She grabbed her backpack and hopped on the bike with him.

" _Thank you_ ," she whispered.

She made it to her exam with 4 minutes to spare. She heaved a sigh of relief. It amazed her how her sunbae always seemed to know when she needed his help. It was like they had an invisible connection.

When they arrived at school, he handed her a bagged breakfast with some fruit, pastry and a small carton of milk.

 _My honorary firefighter saved the day again_ , she smiled.

She looked around the campus for him after her classes were over. She went to the library, the music room, even the cafeteria, but saw no sign of him. She frowned at herself. It wasn't like him to go home right after school. He normally hung around campus either at the library or the music room.

She saw a girl from his class and decided to ask her.

"Have you seen sunbae... I mean Yoon Ji Hoo?" she asked a tall and pretty girl. She couldn't remember the girl's name, but had seen her follow Ji Hoo around campus (though Ji Hoo seemed completely oblivious to it), so she knew this girl would probably know where Ji Hoo was.

The girl crossed her arms and eyed her skeptically. "What if I have?" she said, gruffly. But her face softened when she recognized Jan Di. "You're Gu Jun Pyo's _girl,_ right?"

Jan Di shifted uncomfortably at being called that. "I'm... Geum Jan Di."

The girl rolled her eyes. "Honestly, I thought you were after Ji Hoo at first, because you two always look like a couple, but then I heard you're actually with Jun Pyo, so I was like, _thank goodness_ , right?"

Jan Di was starting to regret asking this girl. "So... have you seen Ji Hoo around?"

The girl looked her up and down again. "You're just friends, _right_?"

Jan Di was getting frustrated. "He's my sunbae." She turned around. "If you don't know where he is, I'll find someone else to ask."

The girl ran after her as she tried to walk away. "Wait!" she hollered. Jan Di considered walking faster, but the girl caught up to her.

 _Stupid slow legs_ , she scolded herself. She turned to face the girl, who now had a wide grin on her face.

"He went to volunteer at a children's clinic with some of the guys from our class." The girl looked at her again, an idea forming in her head. "Hey, do you think you can introduce me to him? He doesn't talk much, and I've been _trying_ to get his attention all this time." She stared off in the distance, eyes dreamy. "He's like, so amazing, isn't he? Tall, handsome, rich, smart. Handsome. Hmm..."

Jan Di definitely was feeling uncomfortable now. "Umm...I have...to...go..." She ran, getting as far away from the girl as possible.

When she was a safe distance away, she sat on a bench and tried to catch her breath.

Ji Hoo hadn't mentioned volunteering to her earlier. The thought of Ji Hoo actually volunteering to be around people (especially little people) made her smile. He'd come a long way. She looked around, making sure the girl had not followed her.

She sighed as she thought of Ji Hoo's latest admirer. She had spent so much time with Ji Hoo and was so comfortable around him she often forgot _what he was_. He was also an heir – he was rich AND famous. She always knew he was ridiculously good looking – the throngs of girls that followed him around were reminders enough. But she never felt their social status gap as much as she did whenever she was with Jun Pyo. With Jun Pyo, she always felt a huge chasm was between them – like he was too far out of her reach. (It didn't help that Jun Pyo was extravagant in every way). Sure, he tried to go down to 'her level' once in a while, but it made her feel uncomfortable whenever he did that.

Her sunbae, on the other hand, never made her feel that way. It was like he blended perfectly with her life, even though he was an heir to a fortune also. He never once bragged about his fortune, though. He was just sunbae to her. Just like her, he never sought attention (though it often found him anyway).

Her phone beeped. She glanced at it quickly. It was a text from Jun Pyo.

"I miss you. Hope your day is a good one."

She smiled again. Lately, they'd been reduced to text messages instead of phone calls.

She cocked her head to the side and thought.

It was Friday, and she needed a break from studying. Maybe she should go to the Porridge restaurant and play catch up with Ga Eul. She missed her friend. She looked for Ga Eul's number and hit send.

...

Christmas was fast approaching and Jan Di wouldn't have noticed it if she hadn't come home one day and found a car (with a huge red bow tied around it) in front of her house. It was a gift from Jun Pyo, of course. Jan Di was a little annoyed, though. A car was a bit much. Besides, he knew she didn't have a driver's license. He'd asked her to come visit him in New York but she had said no. She had called him back and insisted he take his present back. He laughed but eventually promised he would.

As annoyed as she was, she knew she had to give him something. Money was a little tight though and she knew she couldn't afford to give presents to everyone. She thought long and hard about what to send him. Finally, she decided she was going to knit a scarf and send it to him. Having never knitted before, it was quite a challenge at first, but eventually she got the hang of it and her scarf ended up looking not too shabby. She thought of the hundreds of designer scarves that Jun Pyo probably had. But she hoped that he would wear hers at least once. She went to the post office to mail her parcel, hoping it would make it there on time. She frowned as she saw the cost to send her parcel to New York. There was no way it would make it there if she didn't send it Express, but it was way beyond her budget.

She sat sulking in front of the post office holding her parcel. With the money she had left, she could still get small presents for her family. It didn't seem practical to spend all her money on Jun Pyo, who had money (and scarves) to spare. Plus, she wanted to get something for Ga Eul and her sunbae too.

She decided to just send him a card.

"Penny for your thoughts?" a voice called out.

She smiled. She knew that voice anywhere. Ji Hoo was standing in front of her, wearing a long, white wool coat and hat.

"I just realized how poor I still am," she sighed out loud.

He looked at her and noticed the parcel on her lap. Immediately, he understood. He didn't say anything about it, though.

"Aren't you cold? It's starting to snow, " he said, concern on his face. He took his winter hat off and put it on her head, making sure to cover her ears with it.

Jan Di stood up, brushed the snow from her skirt, and nodded. "Yeah, I should probably get going."

"Do you want a ride?" he said, pointing to a car across the street.

She nodded. It would be nice to not have to walk home in this weather.

As they approached the car, a man came out and opened the door for them. "Young Master," he bowed, as they stepped into the car.

They drove home in silence, both of them staring out the window. The snow blanketed everything in white. Granted, it made things slippery too, but it was beautiful to look at.

Jan Di turned to look at Ji Hoo. He was staring outside, lost in his thoughts. She thought about what to get him for Christmas. She thought about knitting another scarf, but that didn't seem right to her.

After Ji Hoo dropped Jan Di off, he noticed that she had left her parcel in the car. He looked it over, and thought, carefully. Finally, he made a decision.

"Can you go back to the post office please," he called to his driver and his driver nodded and turned around.

...

Jan Di managed to finish most of her Christmas shopping within a week. She only had Ga Eul and Ji Hoo left. She went inside a store that sold locally handmade knickknacks and found a beautiful hair clip for Ga Eul. She looked in her wallet and frowned at how little money she had left. She wandered from store to store, still at a loss on what to get her sunbae. She HAD to get him something.

She went inside a craft store absentmindedly and walked around the aisles, not really expecting to get anything, when a painting caught her eye.

It was a painting of a white horse, running freely in the meadows. It reminded her of Rui. She looked at the price and gave a little gasp. There was no way she could afford it. Dejected, she started walking towards the exit door when she noticed the clearance bin. They had a sale on blank canvases and it was right within her budget. An idea began to form in her head. She had some painting supplies left over from an art class she took as an elective last year. She looked through the bin and found a small 8" by 10" white canvas. She almost skipped all the way home, giddy with excitement at having thought of the perfect present for her sunbae.

Jan Di spent the next several days working on Ji Hoo's present. They had Christmas break so she had no classes. Finally, she looked at it admiringly. "Not bad," she said, proudly analyzing her work. Then she thought of actually giving it to him. She felt herself blush. Maybe this was too much. What was she thinking? What if he hated it? Doubts crossed her mind. She shook it off and gathered her courage. She had never really given him anything before. Knowing her sunbae, he would love it no matter what. She carefully wrapped his present humming gleefully to herself.

She called him earlier that day and asked him where he was. He was at the Art Center so she asked him to wait for her there. Her heart hammered in her chest. She was nervous and excited to see his reaction when he opened his present. She walked in and found him sitting in front of the grand piano in the main hall. The hall was empty, as it was after hours. As soon as he saw her walk in, he began to play.

A soft, sweet melody began to travel through the air. Jan Di slowly descended the steps towards Ji Hoo, mesmerized. It was the most beautiful melody she had ever heard.

Ji Hoo's fingers danced on the keyboard. He closed his eyes now and then as he played, as he poured his heart onto playing. Jan Di listened intently, feeling an unusual sense of calm and joy as she did so. When the melody got faster she found herself wanting to dance and laugh out loud, when it went softer she found it so soothing she could have fallen asleep right then and there. Her heart became so overwhelmed with emotions as if each note was speaking directly to her.

When he finished, Jan Di was surprised to find tears running down her cheeks. She hastily wiped them away, hoping he wouldn't notice. Ji Hoo stood up, pulled out his handkerchief, and gave it to her. She shook her head.

"What's wrong?" Ji Hoo asked, concern on his face.

"Sunbae, that was…" she began, at a loss for words. "...absolutely beautiful."

At this he smiled, sheepishly. "You like it?"

She shook her head. His smile disappeared. Then she smiled at him. "I didn't just like it. I LOVED it." She stepped towards the piano. "I've never heard it before. Where did you learn that?"

He was about to answer when he noticed the beautifully wrapped parcel she was carrying. He raised an eyebrow questioningly.

Jan Di blushed. She handed it over to him. "It's just a little something…for you."

"Me?" he asked again, unsure.

She tried to brush off the pounding of her heart. Why was she so nervous?

"Umm…it's nothing, really. I just thought…you know." She fidgeted with her hands. Then she looked at him and smiled. "Merry Christmas, sunbae!"

Ji Hoo was taken aback. "Should I…open it now?"

Jan Di blushed some more. "Up to you, sunbae."

Ji Hoo sat down and carefully unwrapped his present. He opened the box and took out a canvas. He stared at it, speechless. Finally, he said, "Did you…make this?"

She nodded. She couldn't tell exactly if he liked it or not, as his head was bowed, still staring at the canvas.

"Sunbae…" she began, unsure of what to say next.

Ji Hoo looked up at her. He looked as if he was about to cry.

"Thank you," was all he could say.

He turned to look at Jan Di's gift. It was a painting of him. He was smiling in the painting – and his face looked genuinely happy. She had captured his features perfectly - from his copper colored hair, to his dark brown eyes, and his gentle smile that touched his eyes.

At the bottom right side, she had signed her name simply as "GJD" and at the back she had written the name of the painting.

It was called "My Sunshine".

He remembered the time she had drawn a sketch of him many months back. It was a good sketch, but this…what he held was a work of art. He traced the outline of his face on the canvas, marveling at how lifelike it looked. It was obvious to him she had spent a lot of time making this.

Ji Hoo smiled and looked at Jan Di. She had been quietly waiting for him to say something. He took a deep breath, stood up, went to the piano, and grabbed the sheet music that he was just playing. He handed it to her.

"Merry Christmas, Miss Geum Jan Di." He said, as she took the sheets from him.

She looked at the first page of the sheet. There were over 10 pages of meticulously handwritten music notes. The title of the music read, "For Jan Di".

Jan Di stood there, speechless, her mind in shock. Her mouth kept opening and closing like a goldfish, but no words came out. She scanned the music sheets again and again, until her brain was able to process what just happened. "You…made this…for me?" She was finally able to croak out.

He just gave her a crooked grin.

"But…this must have taken you a lot of time to do! When did you even find the time to do this?"

Ji Hoo shrugged nonchalantly. "It wasn't that bad," he humbly answered.

Jan Di stared at him in amazement. He felt like he was floating on a cloud. _She likes it!_ his heart sang.

He would never tell her that for the past three months, every free minute he had he spent on her song.

She would never know that he had written and rewritten her song many, many times until each note was perfect for her - he had made sure that every time she listened to it, she would feel joy and happiness, not pain and sadness.

She would never know any of those things, because he would never tell her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Jun Pyo paced around his New York city penthouse. He had planned to go to Korea to surprise Jan Di for Christmas, but he had some unexpected meetings that came up. Since he was trying to juggle his classes and his business obligations, he had to take the opportunities as they came. They were struggling due to the bad publicity they had received the last few months. The media was not kind about his mother lying about his father's death. His failed alliances had not helped either.

His doorbell rang. He opened the door and found his door man holding a parcel in his hand.

Jun Pyo sat down on his couch. He looked at the parcel and recognized Geum Jan Di's handwriting. He smiled to himself.

 _What's this?_ He thought. _She actually sent me a present?_

He thought she'd still be angry over the car he tried to give her. He thought it was hilarious but she wasn't amused.

He opened the card attached to it. It said Merry Christmas on the front.

Inside it said,

" _Jun Pyo,_

 _I hope your Christmas is merry and bright!_

 _Jan Di_ "

He opened the box and found a scarf. He took it out, puzzled. The scarf was black, with white stripes on both ends. It was nice, but he could see some mistakes in the pattern. It took him a few minutes to realize that Jan Di had made this scarf for him. The thought of her knitting a scarf for him made him smile even wider. He wrapped the scarf around his neck. It was too short, but he loved it anyway. He looked at the time. She would be asleep by now. He made a mental note to call her later when she woke up.

He had to admit, it hadn't been easy leaving Jan Di in Korea. But all his life, someone had always dictated how he should live. Coming to America was a decision he made himself, and one that he would stand by no matter what. He had complete faith in Jan Di. Sure, he was taking a risk by being away from her this long, but in a way, he also wanted to test their relationship. If they were really meant to be, they'd survive their long-distance relationship. Jan Di would be a fool to give him up. He was the great Gu Jun Pyo, after all.

His phone rang.

He cursed under his breath. Time for his meeting, then. He stood up, grabbed his coat, and headed out the door.

…

Jan Di sat on her bed clutching the music sheets Ji Hoo had given her for Christmas. He also handed her a CD he recorded so she could listen to it whenever she liked. She was overwhelmed at the thoughtfulness of his gift. She had never received anything like it in her life. The recording was playing softly on her cd player – she had put it on repeat so she could memorize every note. She sighed deeply and closed her eyes, still focused on listening to the beautiful melody that played in the background.

Her phone rang. It was Jun Pyo.

"You still awake?" he asked, as she picked up the phone.

"Yeah, just getting ready for bed." She replied as she placed the music sheets carefully in a box beside her bed. "How are you?"

"I just wanted to call to thank you for my present." He said and she could hear some papers shuffling in the background.

"Present?" she asked, puzzled. She did send a card, but it was hardly what you'd call a present.

He laughed. "It's too short though. And whatever possessed you to make me a scarf?"

Jan Di froze. _Scarf?_ She tried to think. She had forgotten all about it. Finally, realization dawned on her.

"Oh, that. Ha ha. I was…you know…" she had no clue what to say. She heard a door open and some muffled voices.

"Drat. They're here. I have to go. But I'll call you later." Jun Pyo muttered. "I miss you, Jan Di."

"Same," she replied. It was always how she answered him. Why was it so hard for her to say _I miss you too_? Or _I love you_?

Jan Di sat on her bed again. She thought of her imperfect scarf, halfway around the world in Jun Pyo's possession. Once again, her sunbae had helped her out.

She couldn't count the number of times he had been there for her – actually, he had been there for both of them. If it wasn't for him, she and Jun Pyo would have been over a long time ago.

She thought of her sunbae. She knew he used to have feelings for her. He had confessed to her over a year ago. She couldn't accept his confession, of course, and she was afraid he would avoid her after that. But he stuck by her as if nothing happened. Her sunbae was not very good at expressing his emotions – something that they had in common – but she vaguely remembered a time, after a day they spent together doing chores around his house, when he had read her a poem from a book.

She was tired by then, but she remembered every word from that poem:

 _I wanted to tell you…that I love you. I wanted to shout it aloud. That's all._

It had taken her by surprise, but she had pretended to be asleep, as to not make it awkward between them. She had a feeling he had meant it to be an indirect confession to her. And she knew how much courage it took for him to say those words out loud. Plus, she wasn't sure how she felt about him then – only that her focus was on Jun Pyo.

She thought about her sunbae now. They had been spending almost every day together, but he never once mentioned anything about how he felt about her now, and whenever she complained about her and Jun Pyo's relationship, he would always tell her not to give up.

Jan Di sighed.

Yes, she was certain he had no more romantic feelings towards her. Otherwise how could he keep pushing the two of them to be together?

Her mind began to register the soft melody playing in the background again. But he made this song. For her. He must have spent a lot of time on it.

 _Snap out of it,_ she chided herself. Hadn't she spent a lot of time on his present too? Did it mean anything more to her? She wasn't sure... she just knew she wanted to give him something special, to thank him for being always there. She owed him that, at least. She looked at the clock.

 _Time to go to bed,_ she muttered, as she laid down to sleep.

…

Jan Di was on cloud nine. She could hardly believe she had finished her first year of Medical school. Sure, she had barely scraped by and almost failed a class or two, but thanks to her sunbae's diligent coaching and encouragement, she made it through. She wasn't surprised to find that her sunbae seemed to be sailing through medical school and would most likely be graduating with honors.

 _Money, talent, looks AND brain. What a deadly combination. Some people have all the luck_ , she muttered to herself.

She had received a text from Ga Eul to meet at the Porridge restaurant, and she was joyfully skipping on her way there when she noticed the lights were out.

 _That's odd_ , she thought, looking at her watch. _It's too early for it to close._

She opened the door hesitantly, peeking inside.

"Surprise!" she heard voices shout out, as the lights turned on.

She stood there, speechless. There was a huge rectangular banner that said, "Congratulations on finishing your first year of Medical school!" There were different colored balloons everywhere. Ga Eul walked over to her smiling, and gave her a hug. Woo Bin stood beside Grandfather, and gave her a thumbs up. Master was busy preparing some bowls of food in the kitchen. Even her mother and Kang San were there, though how they got there she had no idea.

"Wha-" she began, still unable to speak.

Grandfather walked over to her and gave her a squeeze. "Ji Hoo's idea," he chuckled, pointing behind her.

She turned around and found him holding a beautifully decorated cake.

"He tried to bake you a cake," Grandfather winked. Ji Hoo turned red at this. Jan Di looked at the cake.

"You...made...this?" she asked, in disbelief. She had no idea he could bake.

The cake had beautifully piped pink roses all around the border. The icing was white, and in the middle was a "Congratulations!" note written on a slab of dark chocolate. There was a small stethoscope made with fondant at the side.

"Nah," he smiled, setting the cake on the table. "I bought this. I did try to make one though, but I had to throw it out." He frowned, pretending to be disappointed. "Apparently, I'm terrible at baking." He tried to make the saddest face he could muster.

He looked so ridiculously cute that she laughed. "This is too much!" She exclaimed, though she was grinning from ear to ear. "I barely survived first year, you know."

"Well, wait until you see what we have planned when you make it through second year!" he said, cheerfully.

She shook her head and playfully punched him on the shoulder. _"_ If I make it through second year!"

"You will," her sunbae said, his voice certain. "I will make sure of it."

She beamed at him.

Her mother and brother came over to congratulate her. "We're so proud of you. Dad too," her mother whispered in her ear. She hugged Jan Di tightly. "Imagine, a doctor in the family! Plus, the future wife of a billionaire!"

Jan Di blushed at this, as she hadn't actually thought much about her engagement – mostly because she hadn't actually accepted his proposal yet. But that was something her mother didn't need to know.

Kang San gave her a playful punch in the arm. "I didn't think you were smart enough for medical school!" he teased. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"How did you guys know? How did you get here?" Jan Di asked as her brother started stuffing food down his face.

Kang San just gave her a really-you-have-to-ask-look and pointed at Ji Hoo.

Ji Hoo sat beside Woo Bin and Ga Eul, and the three of them seemed to be laughing at something. Jan Di decided to investigate. As she neared she heard Woo Bin making fun of doctors, which in turn made Ji Hoo tell funny stories about construction workers. Grandfather had also joined the party and would pipe in a story or two to side with Ji Hoo, and eventually Woo Bin conceded defeat. Ga Eul and her just watched and listened with delight.

It was one of the happiest moments of her life.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Summer went by, and then fall, and then winter. Jun Pyo was becoming concerned. He had been doing a lot of damage control lately, but their stocks had still been dropping like crazy. Their corporate headquarters had started talking about layoffs, and this greatly concerned him. He needed to form a strategic alliance to strengthen their presence again and to put the public's faith back in Shinhwa.

He needed to break into the American market. But how?

He was getting ready for his next meeting – one that the board had set up as of critical importance – when he received a text message.

He glanced at it. It was from Jan Di.

 _Have a good day today, Jun Pyo! Fighting!_

He tossed his phone aside.

She never texted him messages that said she missed or loved him so he had stopped sending those kinds of messages either. She was never open about her feelings for him even before, but now it was starting to annoy him.

Jun Pyo looked at the time and started walking to the board room. He stepped in and stopped, shock registering on his face when he saw the person sitting in the middle of the board room.

The woman stood up, smiled and bowed her head.

"Gu Jun Pyo", she greeted. Her hair had grown to her shoulders, and she was wearing an expensive business suit, with matching shoes.

"Monkey?" he said, in shock. "What are you doing here?"

Jae Kyung smiled. "Well, nice to see you again too!" She rolled her eyes. "I heard you needed help so, here I am!" she exclaimed.

At first, he was hesitant to work with her again. They had parted amicably, but he was afraid it was going to be awkward. But the JK Group was big in America, and they could use their help right now. His business partners had explained that they had been trying to reach other companies to form an alliance with, and only the JK Group had given them a definitive answer. He wondered if Jae Kyung was here because she wanted to, or because she was forced to.

They talked about strategy and business plans for the rest of the day. Jae Kyung seemed to be taking it seriously, giving out ideas now and then. He looked at her, curiously. She seemed to have matured since he last saw her.

He wondered if she still had feelings for him. He felt sorry for her at the time, because she was actually a great person. If he hadn't met Jan Di perhaps it may have worked out for them.

They wrapped up their meeting late in the afternoon. The other partners had left, and he was left alone with her. Jae Kyung yawned and stretched.

"Man, that was a long day," she complained. "This suit is itchy, and these shoes gave me blisters." She took off her shoes.

Ah. This was the Jae Kyung he remembered. He couldn't help but laugh. She stood up, brushed her skirt and started walking out the door.

"Nice seeing you again," she called out.

He stood up and hurried after her. "Hey, you hungry? I hate eating alone."

She shrugged nonchalantly and followed him out.

They went to a quaint little French restaurant about 5 minutes from his penthouse. It was quiet, and served only high-end clientele. They made idle talk as they waited for their food. Jae Kyung acted like they had no past history. She kept it professional.

Jun Pyo decided to bring up the past though.

"I don't know how to thank you for what you did," he began.

She waved her hand dismissively. "We will benefit from this alliance also."

"I wasn't talking about this," he replied.

Jae Kyung was silent for a moment, as if contemplating whether to go there. Finally, she smiled and asked, "So, how is my bff Geum Jan Di?"

They talked about her then. He explained how she was in medical school with Ji Hoo and how busy they've both been lately. How they've been trying to make time for each other but it's been proving difficult. He hadn't expected to tell her much, but to have a friend to talk to when he was thousands of miles away from home gave him relief.

Jae Kyung listened attentively, but then raised a questioning eyebrow at him.

"So, you decided to leave her with Ji Hoo for four years while you 'find yourself'?" She smirked. "You really are as dumb as you look." She said it jokingly, but Jun Pyo felt a little stung.

Jun Pyo was used to questions like this, though. "I trust them both," he said, defensively. Truth was, ever since he arrived in New York he had been questioning his sanity on his decision.

Jae Kyung rolled her eyes at him. "It's not really a question of trust, is it? I know Ji Hoo doesn't have the guts to go after what he wants. But what if one day Jan Di wakes up and realizes she's okay without you? What if her feelings for you change?" _What if she falls for Ji Hoo?_ She didn't say the last part out loud, but he heard it loud and clear anyway.

Jun Pyo dismissed her words. "Nonsense. You know that saying, Absence makes the heart grow fonder?"

"And you know the saying, Out of sight, out of mind?" Jae Kyung countered.

Jun Pyo took a sip of his drink. _Nah_ , he thought. "We talk every day. And we're pretty much engaged anyway". He didn't bother mentioning that technically, she hadn't said yes yet.

Jae Kyung cocked her head to the side, contemplating on whether to say more. She looked out through the glass window on to the road, watching the cars pass by.

"You know," she began, reminiscing the past. "When I first saw those two I thought they were together." She waited for him to object but when he didn't she continued. "No offense, but those two looked more like a couple than you two were." Jae Kyung smiled at him sadly. "I guess that's why I was so oblivious about the two of you."

Jun Pyo nodded, then took a sip of his drink again. He remembered when he woke up from his coma, he thought the same thing. He thought she was Ji Hoo's girlfriend. They seemed compatible together, in tune to each other. They looked good together. He thought about all the times he had messaged Ji Hoo to come pick up Jan Di, or to go help her out. His friend had only done what he asked. He kept asking Ji Hoo to take care of Jan Di, even though he was aware his friend had feelings for her.

But Jan Di belonged to him. He was confident of this. She had already chosen him. He turned to look at Jae Kyung and forced a smile.

"How about you? What's new?"

…

Jan Di stirred the pot of spicy fish stew. It was almost ready. She called out to Grandfather and Ji Hoo, who were sitting on the dock with their fishing lines out. She tried to go fishing with them whenever she could because she enjoyed spending time with them. She felt a sense of belonging. She hummed a merry tune as she dished out the stew to them. They all ate hungrily, complimenting Jan Di's cooking. Jan Di beamed proudly.

Grandfather sighed contentedly, a huge grin spread across his face. "Jan Di, you need to teach Ji Hoo how to cook."

"Hey, I know how to cook!" Ji Hoo defended.

Grandfather rolled his eyes. "Something other than pancakes."

Ji Hoo thought for a second, inclined his head and then gave a slight nod in acceptance. Jan Di laughed at this exchange between the two of them – something that wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't for her.

Grandfather's eyes went from Ji Hoo to Jan Di, who were sitting side by side, hands clasped in front of them. "Jan Di, do you want to hear a story that happened when Ji Hoo was a little boy?" He said it so mysteriously that Jan Di leaned forward even more and nodded enthusiastically. Ji Hoo gave his grandfather a cautious look, not knowing what to expect.

"It happened when Ji Hoo was about 3," he began, "I had a meeting with some delegates from North America that afternoon. I hadn't seen Ji Hoo and his parents in a week so I decided to drop by shortly after lunch." Grandfather scratched his chin, as his mind traveled back to that time. "I was so exhausted by then because we just came from another meeting that morning." He looked at Ji Hoo and smiled. "After playing with him for about an hour, I fell asleep on the couch. When I woke up and realized the time I had to run right to my meeting. I walked into that room to find everyone staring at me, mouths open wide. And then someone laughed." Ji Hoo raised an eyebrow, still unsure where he fit into the story. "I saw my reflection in the boardroom mirror and realized young Ji Hoo had drawn all over my face while I was asleep. With black permanent marker." He looked at both of them, face dead serious. "There I was, the President of Korea, attending a very important meeting with scribbles all over my face. And I mean, not an inch of my face was spared." Ji Hoo's eyes widened in horror. Jan Di's mouth was agape.

And then Grandfather burst out laughing. Jan Di sighed in relief, then started laughing too. Ji Hoo joined them a few seconds later.

After a while, Ji Hoo took out his guitar and began to play some songs. They all sang in unison, clapping and swaying with the music. It was late by the time they left the dock.

Ji Hoo was driving home, Jan Di was in the front passenger seat, and Grandfather sat in the back. Jan Di had started nodding off when Grandfather handed her an envelope. Jan Di looked at it. It was a wedding invitation happening in a month's time. It was addressed to: _Ji Hoo and Guest_. She looked questioningly at grandfather, and he pointed at Ji Hoo.

"He doesn't want to go," Grandfather simply said.

Ji Hoo glanced at the invitation and rolled his eyes. "Weddings aren't my thing."

Jan Di pressed him for more info. "Who's getting married?"

"An old friend."

"How long since you've seen him last?"

"10 years or so."

Jan Di thought for a moment. "Shouldn't you go?" She looked at it again. It was going to be a fancy wedding, based on the venue.

"He doesn't have a date to go with," Grandfather piped in.

Ji Hoo opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He shrank back in his seat. Jan Di looked at Grandfather, getting the hint.

"We should go, sunbae," she urged.

"Huh?" he wasn't sure he heard her right.

"I'll go with you." She urged again, flashing a smile.

He shook his head. "You don't have to do this…"

"It will be fun," she said, "I've never actually been to a wedding before." She paused for a moment, then frowned. "Well, Jun Pyo's didn't really count."

She looked at the date. "And we don't have school that week!"

Ji Hoo nodded, then smiled. "Ok. We'll go."

Grandfather chuckled in the back seat, obviously pleased with himself.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Jan Di had a dilemma. The wedding was that weekend, and she still hadn't found anything suitable to wear. She had been busy with classes, so she had forgotten about it until now. She decided to ask Ga Eul for help.

Ga Eul had a dress that she borrowed, which she hoped was appropriate enough for the wedding. It was a beautiful vibrant blue floral dress with a high-low hem and an off-the-shoulder neckline. She decided to put her hair in an updo – her hair had gotten long enough for it now.

She sighed nervously. She looked at her phone as she saw a text from Jun Pyo come in. She told him about going with Ji Hoo to the wedding. He wasn't too happy at first, but since he also knew the groom, and the fact that Woo Bin would be there made him relent (albeit grudgingly). Not that he could dictate where she went anyway. She was putting the finishing touches on her makeup when she heard the doorbell ring.

She heard her mother scrambling to open the door. She hurried out, and found her mother and Kang San staring at a very handsome-looking Ji Hoo.

He was dressed in his trademark white from head to toe. He was wearing a blue bow tie that matched the color of her dress. He looked dashing as always, and she couldn't help but stare at him for a moment. In his hand he held a huge bouquet of flowers, which he handed to her mother. He greeted them politely, and then he saw her. He paused, looked at her, then smiled widely in approval.

Jan Di felt herself blush.

Her mother was still staring at Ji Hoo, mouth open wide in admiration. Kang San started blabbing incessantly about how Ji Hoo looked like an angel. Ji Hoo smiled at them politely but shifted uncomfortably.

Jan Di took his hand and bade farewell to her family. "Let's go."

The wedding was beautiful, Jan Di thought. She wondered how much it cost to have such an elegant wedding. She was sure her head wouldn't be able to handle the amount. A part of her wondered if her own wedding would even come close to this. If she did marry Gun Pyo, it probably would be (and more!) but was that what she really wanted?

At the reception she and Ji Hoo sat at a table with Woo Bin and his date. It had been a long time since she last saw him. They chatted happily as old friends, catching up on each other's lives. Woo Bin had decided to forgo University and apprentice under his father to run their multitude of businesses. He and Ji Hoo saw each other often though, being the only two left of the famous F4. Woo Bin's date was a girl named Ra Yong Ae, who looked stunning in a strapless black evening gown. Jan Di felt a little self-conscious. She scanned the room, looking at all the gorgeous people dressed in really expensive clothing. For a while she thought she stepped into a fashion magazine.

"What are you thinking of?" Ji Hoo interrupted her thoughts.

"How beautiful everyone looks," she sighed.

Ji Hoo gave her a lopsided grin. "You don't look so bad yourself."

Jan Di blushed. A tall girl with waist length hair wearing a one shoulder slim fitting gown walked by. She reminded her of Min Seo Hyun. She was absolutely breathtaking. She stared at the girl, mouth open wide. Ji Hoo glanced in the direction she was looking at.

"Sunbae, what do you think of when you look at her?" she pointed to the girl who passed by.

Ji Hoo took a second look at the girl.

 _That she isn't you,_ was what he wanted to say. "Tall", was what he said out loud.

Jan Di laughed.

"Yeah, right," she shook her head, smiling.

She was in a bathroom stall trying to fix her makeup when she heard voices outside.  
They were talking about her. She peeped through the gap in the stall and saw two girls putting on lipstick in front of the mirror.

"Did you see Ji Hoo? He's gotten even better looking, which I didn't think was possible." Said a girl wearing a short red strapless dress and the highest heels she had ever seen.

The other girl scoffed. "Did you see his date?" She laughed. "He must have lost a bet or something."

Jan Di frowned and looked at herself. She didn't think she looked _that_ bad.

"I think I'll relieve Ji Hoo of his misery," She continued, confidently. She fluffed her hair and was taking a selfie in the bathroom. She was so beautiful that Jan Di thought she must be a model. She had a long, slender neck and was wearing a silver strapless gown with long slits on both sides. Jan Di envied her long legs.

"Are you sure?" the first girl asked, hesitantly. "Ji Hoo's kinda…antisocial. I don't think he's even noticed us. Plus, I don't think he's left her side all night."

"I've had a crush on him since I was 7." The girl wearing the silver dress went on. "My brother didn't think he'd come but I begged him to invite him anyway." She puckered her lips at the mirror. "I can't let an opportunity like this escape." She adjusted her dress. "It's time to get re-acquainted."

After she was sure they'd left, Jan Di slowly came out of the stall. She inspected herself in the mirror. She thought she looked…nice, and Ji Hoo had even told her so. Maybe sunbae was just being nice?

She thought of the girl in the silver dress and frowned. _What was that about? S_ he wondered. She decided to ignore what she just heard and go back to her table. Ji Hoo was still talking to Woo Bin, and for the first time she noticed some girls milling about around them, waiting for an opportunity to talk to the boys. Once in a while one of them would get brave enough to approach them to ask them to dance, but the boys always politely declined. She was almost at the table when she bumped into someone, who spilled their drink on her.

"Oh my gosh. Sorry!" the voice said. She looked at her dress. It had red splotches all over. _Great_ , she thought. Red wine. She hoped Ga Eul wasn't too attached to this dress.

"It's ok," she began to say, when she noticed the girl was the same one who made fun of her in the washroom. The girl did not look apologetic at all. In fact, she was gloating.

Ji Hoo was instantly beside her. He took off his coat and wrapped it around her shoulders. She worried about getting his coat stained, but he just shrugged and said it was just a coat. They sat down and she realized she was shaking, and it wasn't from the cold either.

"Hey, you ok?" Ji Hoo asked, worriedly.

She slowly nodded, though still quite upset at having ruined Ga Eul's dress. Ji Hoo stood up. "I'll get you something to drink. Do you want some tea? Water?"

"Tea would be great," she answered, a little calmer this time.

Ji Hoo went to get her some tea but got stopped by the bride and groom on his way back. He kept looking apologetically at her, but she smiled and gestured for him to take his time. Jan Di was watching them from afar when she saw the girl in the silver dress approach Ji Hoo and the newly married couple and started chatting away. She kept touching Ji Hoo's arm flirtatiously and tossing her hair back and forth.

Jan Di scowled. _She's doing that on purpose!_ She thought, fuming.

She heard someone chuckle.

"I wouldn't worry if I were you," Woo Bin interrupted her thoughts.

Jan Di pretended to be coy. "I don't know what you're talking about." Was she jealous? She wasn't sure.

Woo Bin pointed to the girl in the silver dress. "That one's Song Mi. She's the groom's little sister. She's been following Ji Hoo since we were kids." He shook his head, amused. "I see she hasn't given up at all."

Jan Di decided to drop the act. "Doesn't he notice that? She's all over him! She's practically throwing herself at him!"

Woo Bin laughed again. "Knowing Ji Hoo, no, he probably doesn't notice."

Jan Di narrowed her eyes, staring at Song Mi. The girl had hooked her arm around Ji Hoo. Ji Hoo just stood there listening, nodding and smiling as the groom talked to him. He was still holding two cups that she assumed was the tea for them. The more she looked, the angrier she became. It wasn't like her, but she couldn't help it.

"Look," Woo Bin said, amusement still on his face, "almost every girl who talks to him is like this. Well, the ones brave enough to approach him. Ji Hoo wouldn't know if someone was flirting with him even if they bit him on the nose or kissed him on the lips." Woo Bin frowned, pretending to think for a minute. "Well, maybe if they kissed him on the lips..."

Jan Di's scowl deepened. "Not helping."

Yong Ae elbowed Woo Bin in the ribs. Woo Bin gave a little yelp but then grinned.

"Again, don't worry," he reassured her. Jan Di saw Ji Hoo bow politely and start walking towards her. She pretended to be busy staring at the massive centerpiece – a huge hurricane lamp with lit-up flowers inside. The flowers had flecks of gold.

Ji Hoo handed her a cup of tea.

"I had to get you a new one since the other one got cold. Sorry you had to wait long." He searched her face. "Are you okay?"

Jan Di forced a smile. "Of course! Why wouldn't I be?" She looked back and saw Song Mi talking to her brother. _That's why Miss Touchy-Feely didn't follow you here._

They chatted for a bit and then Ji Hoo's phone rang. He looked at the caller ID. "It's Grandfather. Excuse me a moment, Jan Di," he said, as he started walking to the door. Jan Di understood. The music was blaring, and it was too loud to take calls inside the ballroom.

"I'd go home if I were you, unless you brought another cheap dress to change into," Song Mi said, sitting down beside her.

Jan Di was startled for a moment. She didn't even hear the girl approach. _She's like a ninja_ , she thought, sullenly. _An 8-tentacled ninja._

Woo Bin and his date were around socializing, so she was on her own.

"If this is the best you can do, I can tell you that it's not going to work. I've been in far worse situations than this" She held her head high. Compared to what she experienced in high school, this was nothing.

"Everything okay?" Ji Hoo asked, as he sat down beside her. Song Mi flashed him the flirtiest smile she had ever seen. Ji Hoo didn't even seem to notice, which made the girl even more desperate. She placed her hand on Ji Hoo's arm, and batted her long, fake eyelashes.

"I was just talking to..." she began, then paused. She looked questioningly at Jan Di. Jan Di pretended not to notice. Song Mi rolled her eyes and decided to focus on Ji Hoo. She turned to face him. " _Oppa_ , how would you like to..."

"Let's dance!" Jan Di interrupted, before the girl could finish.

The latest hit dance song was playing, and there were several people making their way to the dance floor. Ji Hoo looked at the dance floor, then nodded and extended his hand. She took it, and they walked towards the middle of the dance floor.

 _Ha!_ She practically floated on her way to the dance floor. She looked back and saw Song Mi, wide eyed and in disbelief.

Jan Di wasn't much of a dancer, but she loved the song that was playing, and it was easy enough to copy the movements of the people around her. Ji Hoo seemed uncomfortable at first, but he loosened up eventually, and they both found themselves having fun dancing.

They were probably on the fourth dance song when the music abruptly changed to a slow one. The couples on the dance floor started slow dancing, arms around each other. Jan Di and Ji Hoo froze for a moment, unsure of what to do. Ji Hoo gestured back to their table, and Jan Di nodded. She noticed a few girls waiting at the edge of the dance floor, their eyes locked on Ji Hoo, and then she saw Song Mi standing there with her arms crossed in front of her chest. She was sure she could see smoke coming out of her ears. Jan Di smirked and grabbed Ji Hoo's hand before he could walk off the dance floor. He scratched his head as he looked uncertainly at her for confirmation, so she took his hands and placed them on her waist. She saw him release a deep exhale, then he relaxed soon after, and they began slow dancing to the music. Jan Di looked across and saw the disappointed faces of the girls that were waiting. Song Mi was actually _glaring_ at her.

Jan Di smirked.

 _Take that,_ she thought, triumphantly. She decided to pull Ji Hoo even closer. Now Song Mi was staring daggers at her _. If looks could kill,_ she thought, somewhat proud of herself. She was so occupied at her victory that it took her a moment to register the song that they were dancing to.

It was Amazed by Lonestar. The chorus was now playing, and she heard each word clearly. It gave her goosebumps.

She looked into Ji Hoo's eyes. He was staring at her while they danced, but she couldn't tell what he was thinking.

 _What are you thinking of, sunbae?_ She wanted to ask. She never really looked at him like this before. She noted every feature of his face, and wondered at how someone could be so beautiful.

 _My soulmate. My protector._

Everyone else seem to have vanished. It felt as if it was just the two of them. It was like she was seeing him again for the first time. She held on to him, swaying with the music, even though her heart had begun to beat so fast she was sure it would jump out of her chest any minute. She leaned in even closer, lost in the moment. Her face was inches away from his. She looked at his lips, his full, red lips, and it was all she could focus on. She started to close her eyes and inch forward...

Suddenly, the music stopped.

Ji Hoo and Jan Di broke away from each other, awakened from their trance. Jan Di smiled awkwardly, embarrassed. Ji Hoo exhaled, put his hands in his pockets, and escorted her back towards their table.

 _That was close. What were you thinking?_ Jan Di scolded herself.

Woo Bin watched the two of them from the bar. He took a swig of his drink and shook his head, sadly. He decided he needed to talk to Ji Hoo, before things got worse.

…

Woo Bin leaned on the balcony, staring at the Seoul skyline in front. They were high up on the top floor of the hotel, and it was quite windy. He watched the procession of cars on the highway. Even at this late hour, there were still many cars on the road.

He heard someone approach from behind, and then a heavy sigh. Ji Hoo stood there, hands in his pockets, eyes also on the highway. No one spoke for a few minutes.

"Speak", Ji Hoo finally said, breaking the silence.

Woo Bin looked at his friend, who was more like a brother to him. He didn't know how to begin.

"Do you remember when we were little," he began, "whenever you had a new toy or something, Jun Pyo would always buy something better?"

Ji Hoo nodded, but remained silent.

"And if he couldn't find anything better, he just took yours. And you always let him. Except for that toy robot that he broke, you always gave in to him. You've always stepped aside for Jun Pyo. Even though you were an only child, you were never selfish with your things." Woo Bin looked at his friend, sadly. "I've always admired that about you – how selfless you are – how willing you are to sacrifice your own happiness for us. Man, you'd give us the shirt off your back if we asked for it. There were times when I hoped you'd fight back and take back what was yours. Or at least not give in."

Ji Hoo was still silent. He knew where his friend was going with this. Woo Bin continued. "But Jan Di..."

"…is not mine to give. Or take." Ji Hoo finished. Ji Hoo turned to look at Woo Bin. "She's always been his." He sighed, deeply. "You don't have to worry about us. I'm not going to do anything to tear them apart. I'm just watching over her like I promised Jun Pyo."

Woo Bin looked at his friend doubtfully. "I'm just afraid you keep digging a hole for yourself and one day you might not get out."

Ji Hoo smiled sadly. "Maybe I'm hoping if I keep digging I'd eventually come out the other end?"

Woo Bin put a hand on Ji Hoo's shoulder. "Bro, I'm just worried about you."

Ji Hoo looked at the night sky. The moon was full and bright.

"Tell me something," he began, as he faced his friend. "Have you ever cared for someone so much that you would do anything to make them happy…even if that means you're not a part of it?" He grinned, but he did not smile.

Woo Bin did not answer. He could feel the sadness behind Ji Hoo's words.

"Jun Pyo will be back soon, you know," he finally said. He didn't want to mention the fact that Jun Pyo and Jan Di would probably get married when he got back, but Ji Hoo understood what he meant.

"When he gets back, and she has no need of me anymore, I will…stay away." Ji Hoo said, softly. "Once I'm sure he won't leave her side again."

Woo Bin thought about what he saw on the dance floor. He was certain he saw something there with Jan Di that made him think she might not want him to stay away.

"Tell me something," he asked, looking at his friend, "out of the four of us, you know you've always been the one the girls went for the most – what with your 'aloof and mysterious' personality and all that. Girls seem to dig that." He was trying to make Ji Hoo smile, but his friend's face remained stoic. "You could have any girl you want – why pick Jan Di?"

Ji Hoo subconsciously touched the ring that hung on a chain around his neck. "Actually, I think she picked me."

Ji Hoo thought of his first meeting with Jan Di – when she walked in on him playing his violin. She seemed to run into him constantly after that, whether it was coincidence or not, he wasn't sure. He had found her amusing then, but his heart was focused on someone else. He never expected to fall for her. And then in New Caledonia…

He closed his eyes and reminisced their time on the island. He thought of her laughing joyfully as they went fishing, of rescuing her from drowning, and of… their kiss. He knew that she had never properly kissed anyone before that. He was her first real kiss. The thought gave him some comfort.

"Will you be alright?" Woo Bin interrupted his thoughts.

Ji Hoo laughed, dryly. "I'm the suffer in silence type, remember?"

Woo Bin also forced a laugh. "Why do you keep doing this to yourself?"

Ji Hoo's smile disappeared.

"Because I'm stupid."

* * *

 _Author's note: I had to take out the song because I didn't want to get in trouble as I just found out it's against the rules._

 _So, please just find that song on YouTube if you're not familiar with it. :)_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Jan Di stood behind a pillar, unable to breathe. She had gone to the bathroom and came out to find Ji Hoo had disappeared, so she had gone looking for him. Someone told her Ji Hoo had gone outside with Woo Bin, so she decided to follow. She thought they would hear her approach, but the two boys were looking ahead as they talked, oblivious to her presence.

She heard everything.

Ji Hoo still had feelings for her…after all this time. She didn't know how she felt about this. Confusion clouded her thoughts. She walked slowly back inside and sat down. Song Mi came over again and started harassing her, but her mind was too preoccupied to care so she ignored her, which made the other girl angrier.

"Do you want to go now?"

Ji Hoo's voice cut through her thoughts. He had snuck in without her noticing, and he must have seen the look on her face because he was looking at her with concern now.

Jan Di nodded automatically. Ji Hoo took her hand and they left the party. They thanked the bride and groom and said goodbye to Woo Bin and his date before they left.

They rode home in silence, Ji Hoo occasionally glancing at her, a troubled look on his face. He asked her if she was okay several times, and she just nodded in response. He thought that maybe she wasn't feeling well, so he placed his hand on her forehead to check her temperature. His hand was warm, and his touch made her heart skip a beat. She flushed.

 _Get your act together!_ She scolded herself.

He tried to make small talk but gave up when she would just nod in response to everything he said.

She watched him drive off after dropping her off. She could tell he was extremely worried about her, but he didn't press her for details.

Jan Di's heart was heavy as she climbed into bed. She was going to have one sleepless night, she was sure of it.

…

Turned out that Ga Eul WAS attached to the dress she borrowed. Ga Eul was furious at Song Mi and kept insisting to confront her. Jan Di had to calm her down and promised her friend she'd buy her a new dress. Somehow.

Jan Di was sitting in the Porridge restaurant, lost in thought. Master had made her a bowl of pumpkin porridge, which was getting colder by the minute.

"Ga Eul," she lamented, staring at the bowl of food.

Ga Eul turned to look at her.

"I think…I'm in trouble."

Ga Eul shot her a tensed look. "What's wrong?"

"Something feels…different," she continued, as Ga Eul put an arm around her. Jan Di curled up to her knees and sighed. "I don't know what to do."

"Is this about sunbae?"

She nodded.

"Let me guess…he confessed again?"

Jan Di shook her head. "Not exactly."

It was Ga Eul's turn to sigh. "But he still likes you."

She gave a quick nod. "How did you know?" She was staring ahead, her chin resting on her knees.

Ga Eul rolled her eyes. "You'd have to be blind not to notice. No wait, I bet even blind people can tell…"

Jan Di glared at her friend.

"Has he ever asked you how you felt about him? I mean, did he ever pressure you for an answer?"

She shook her head. "No, he's never asked me for anything."

Ga Eul paused for a moment. "Do you have feelings for him?"

Jan Di was silent.

"Do you still love Jun Pyo?" Ga Eul continued her interrogation, carefully examining her friend's reaction.

"I…think so…" she answered, a little slower than expected. Of course, she did. She had gone through so much for him. And they'd made it, even though this distance was putting a real strain on their relationship. She felt guilty at the conflicted feelings she was having. She scolded herself inwardly. Jun Pyo trusted her. She didn't want to hurt him again.

Ga Eul held her tight. "It will be ok. You'll figure it out."

She stared blankly ahead. "I hope so."

….

Jan Di decided that the best way to sort out her feelings was to spend less time with her sunbae. It was hard enough as she saw him every day at school. Plus, when winter started Ji Hoo decided it was too dangerous for her to ride her bike on the slick roads so he stopped by to pick her up and drop her off every day. She didn't want to make him upset by completely avoiding him, plus he was bound to notice something, so she still got a ride with him to/from school. (And really, she didn't want to walk or ride her bike in the snow either). But she was going to try to not hang out with him as much after school and on weekends. At least that was her plan.

For some reason though, she found she couldn't really stay away from him.

Ji Hoo arrived in his chauffeur driven car bright and early as usual. In the summer he often rode his bike, but during winter he hardly drove or rode. Jan Di got into the car to find a smiling Ji Hoo handing her a cup of coffee. She looked at the cup and couldn't help but smile at the smiley face he always drew on the side.

"Thanks," she mumbled, taking a sip. How many times had he bought her coffee in the past?

"Did you sleep well last night?"

She nodded.

"Ready for mid-terms?"

Her eyes widened in horror. Mid-terms? Already? Time flew by. Another year almost gone. 1 more and Jun Pyo would be back.

Ji Hoo laughed. "I can see from your expression that you're not. Well, if you need help, just ring your emergency bell."

Jan Di's face fell. Well, she had the perfect timing on her avoid-her-only-tutor plan.

She swallowed hard. "I'll be ok, sunbae."

Ji Hoo looked as if he was about to say something else, but he did not speak. When they arrived at school, they both went their separate ways.

Ji Hoo was distracted in class. Jan Di had been acting weird lately. He noted the date. Just a year left until his friend came back. Ji Hoo thought about how much Jan Di must be missing his friend and realized that maybe the reason she was acting this way was she was preparing for Jun Pyo's arrival. Surely when he comes back, she wouldn't want to be dependent on him still? Besides, it's not like he could hang out with her like this forever? He understood. It was time to slowly take a step back. Once they get married….

He tried not to think about that yet.

…

Her mid-terms did not go as well as she hoped. Jan Di stared at the piece of paper in front of her. She had failed a couple of exams. She tried to study hard, but her mind was distracted, and she just couldn't focus. Suddenly, her dream of becoming a doctor was slowly crawling out of her grasp.

She groaned as she laid on her bed. "For Jan Di" played in the background. She listened to it often these days. It calmed her nerves. And it reminded her of him.

She saw him every day but she could tell he had noticed the difference in her. He had given her space and only approached her when she needed him to. Her heart had been laden with guilt and doubt.

She missed him terribly. _No_ , she scolded herself. _Think about Jun Pyo._ You miss _him_. _Him_.

One night she was up late studying in the library, four to five books scattered around her. She kept yawning and was having a hard time keeping her eyes open. Aside from a couple of students chatting in the corner, the library was almost empty.

Jan Di stretched. She cannot fail again. She willed herself to study some more, but her eyes seemed to have other ideas. She closed it for a brief moment and when she realized it she gave herself a few quick slaps to wake herself up.

"What did your cheeks ever do to you?" a voice cut through the silence.

She looked up and saw Ji Hoo standing there, two cups of coffee in his hands. He set one down in front of her. Her eyes automatically darted to the smiley face drawn on the side. She took a sip of her coffee. It was hot, and it felt good going down her throat.

He sat down beside her and looked at the books she had spread around.

"Anatomy, huh?"

She just gave him a quick nod. Ji Hoo grabbed a book and flipped through the pages. "Which one's giving you trouble?"

She pointed to a page she had folded and he glanced quickly at it. Then he began to draw on a piece of paper and started explaining things to her. She nodded, listening attentively. A part of her heart felt elated sitting so close to him, listening to his voice, and just looking fixedly at his face.

Gosh, how she missed this.

They sat on a bench in the library side by side, books open on their laps. Jan Di's brain was going in shut down mode, and her eyes refused to stay open any longer.

 _I'll just close it for a minute,_ she thought.

Ji Hoo was busy writing study notes for Jan Di when he felt Jan Di's head plop onto his shoulder. He froze, unsure of what to do, even though she had done this before numerous times. She sighed in relief and snuggled even further onto his shoulder, as if finding comfort there. He sat frozen, not wanting to move, for fear of waking her up. A part of him wanted the moment to last forever, but he knew if he didn't move Jan Di would have a sore neck in the morning. He carefully extracted himself and set her down on the bench. He rolled up his scarf, gently placed it under her head, and took off his coat and covered her with it. She exhaled loudly and smiled in her sleep.

Ji Hoo stared at her, happy that she was getting some much-needed rest. Some strands of her hair had fallen on her face, so he took the strands and tenderly tucked it behind her ear. He stared at her for what seemed like an eternity. He thought of a quote he read from a book:

 _If you're not too long, I will wait here for you all my life._

He knew there was a huge chance he was going to wait forever. But he didn't care.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Jan Di woke up, feeling refreshed. She refused to completely open her eyes – she could smell him everywhere. She savored his scent and smiled. It was like he was right there beside her.

Memories of the night before came flooding back.

She sat up with a jolt. It was still dark outside. She looked around and saw his scarf on the bench and noticed his coat still wrapped around her. Ah, that's what she smelled. She couldn't believe she fell asleep in the library. She stood up quietly, wondering why her sunbae had left her alone in the library in the dead of night. She had walked a few steps when she noticed a copper colored head resting on top of the table. She walked closer to him in disbelief. He was breathing quietly, and she couldn't help but stare at his beautiful face. Her heart gave a small jolt. She tried to ignore it, and she reached out to touch him gently on the cheek.

 _I can't believe you slept here too, sunbae._

Just as she was about to brush his cheek her phone rang.

Ji Hoo sat up with a start, still looking sleepy. His hair was in disarray, but he still managed to look good. She cursed silently and put her phone on silent.

"Hey, you're up." He smiled that smile she knew so well. She loved that smile. Her heart gave another jolt.

"I can't believe we slept here," was all she could say. She could feel herself turn red. She was just glad it was dark enough in the library for anyone to see that.

He stood up, gathered their things, and handed her a piece of paper. She looked at it and saw he had carefully drawn and labeled the anatomy page she was having issues with.

"I thought this might help you remember the parts better than what they showed in the book."

"Thanks, sunbae." Another jolt. What was wrong with her? She was going to have to get her heart checked. And maybe her head too.

He winced as he stretched. She looked at him, concerned.

"Sunbae, are you ok?" she asked, worry etched on her face.

He grinned. "Yeah, I slept on it wrong," he pointed at his neck. "I'll be fine. Let's go get breakfast and head home. I miss my bed."

…

Jan Di stared at her phone. She had just finished talking to Jun Pyo for one whole hour – something that was rare for them lately. It was night time in New York, and she could tell that Jun Pyo was tired because towards the end of their conversation she heard him just say ah or hmmm in response, but she didn't care. She babbled on incessantly about everything and nothing, because by doing so she hoped the guilt and doubt she had been feeling lately would dissipate.

 _Why am I feeling guilty?_ She asked herself. It wasn't like she had cheated on Jun Pyo – she hadn't done anything she hadn't been doing since she'd met him. She just hung out with her sunbae, who was her best friend.

But she couldn't help but feel a nagging feeling deep inside her. She tried to push it away and bury it deep. But something had changed…something felt different.

 _No._ She had to reinforce herself. _Nothing's changed. You're just...tired. And confused._

Jan Di scrunched her face in concentration. She had to focus. School was getting harder. She finally gave up her job at the Porridge restaurant because between her studies and helping out at the clinic, she just never had enough hours in the day. Money was tight also. She felt so grateful she still had a scholarship even though she had failed a class. The scholarship money covered her tuition, books, and a little bit of spending money. She needed to get her grades back up so she could finish her last year of pre-med with a scholarship. Jun Pyo had offered to pay for her schooling numerous times but she made him promise not to interfere. He didn't understand why she would choose to struggle with money when he could just freely hand it to her. She sighed. Things seemed so easy for the rich.

She had just finished eating supper and was on her way to the library when she saw her sunbae through the library window. He sat on a bench, eyes closed, a book open on his lap. Her lips curled into a smile. Her plan to not see him often did not exactly pan out because saw him every day at school, although they had agreed to alternate their shifts at Grandfather's clinic so he would always have help.

Grandfather had been working less hours lately – though he refused to admit it, his age was catching up to him. He needed to rest often.

She frowned. Ji Hoo was supposed to be at the clinic tonight. Why was he at the library at this time? Lately, he had also been spending more time at the art centre, often heading there for an hour or two after the clinic.

She walked cautiously towards him so as not to wake him up. His breathing was even, his head leaning on the wall beside him. She cocked her head to the side and stared at him.

 _I could stare at you all day._

She shook her head and reprimanded herself.

She sat close to him and started studying. She glanced occasionally at him, making sure he was still asleep. After almost two hours, she heard him shift on the bench, and then yawn. When she turned he was looking at her inquiringly.

"Aren't you supposed to be at the clinic? Did Grandfather close early today?"

Jan Di arched an eyebrow. "You're the one that should be there tonight."

Ji Hoo blinked, sleep still evident in his eyes. "But it's Tuesday. It's your turn."

She rolled her eyes. "It's Wednesday, sunbae."

He stared at her in horror. He looked at his watch, stood up quickly, and ran towards the door.

Jan Di saw that he left his coat on the bench, so she grabbed it and ran after him. He was standing outside the door, looking up at the sky. It was raining heavily. Jan Di stepped outside and handed him his coat.

Then she heard the door click shut.

Her eyes widened in horror and she turned to open the door but they were locked. Ji Hoo tried to pry them open, to no avail. She remembered they had implemented new security measures around campus. After a certain hour the doors would lock automatically and can only be opened from the inside. Jan Di looked longingly inside at her backpack that hung on the chair, and the warm, dry solace of the library. They stood outside the door where about 5 feet of the roof jutted out providing them a little shelter from the rain, waiting for the heavy rain to subside.

Jan Di rubbed her arms as she started to feel cold. Ji Hoo took off his coat and draped it around her shoulders.

"But sunbae, you'll get cold," she protested.

"I'm fine," he assured her. "But we better call someone or get inside another building or we'll get sick out here."

"My phone's inside," she pointed at her backpack.

Ji Hoo sighed. "And I forgot mine at home today." He looked around. There were a few buildings close by. Maybe he could run and check if he could get into one of them. Or find someone with a phone. They could wait, of course, but he was worried that Jan Di would get sick. He could hear her teeth chattering and see her shivering. He was freezing also, but he wasn't about to tell her that. He tucked his hands into his pockets to keep them warm.

"Hey, I'm going to run and see if that building over there is open, ok? Or maybe someone has a phone we can borrow."

"But you'll get soaked!" Jan Di protested.

"I won't melt if I get wet," he grinned. "Besides, we need to get out of this weather."

Jan Di simply nodded. She was so cold.

Ji Hoo took one more look at her and then ran. The rain pelted him heavily. Within a minute, he was soaked. He reached the other building and tried the door. It was locked. He cursed under his breath. The next building was a little farther, and there was no guarantee it would be open.

He was getting ready to run there when he saw a couple in the distance walking with an umbrella. He ran towards them. They stopped when they noticed him. _Please have a phone, please have a phone_ , he thought to himself.

"Do you have a phone I can borrow? We got locked out and need to get home." He had to shout to be heard as the rain fell loudly.

The girl looked at him and nodded. She took out her phone and handed it to him. Her boyfriend just stood there, watching.

Ji Hoo dialed his chauffeur's number.

"Thank you," he told the couple as he handed the girl back her phone.

By the time he got back to Jan Di he was soaked through the bone. His hair was plastered all over his forehead. He was shivering badly, although he tried to hide it. He was wet in places he didn't even know could get wet. She stood there, his coat still draped around her. She had seen him approach the couple from a distance, so she knew help was coming.

"You're soaked," she said, trying to brush his hair away from his face.

"Are you ok?" was what he said. "Mr. Gil should be here any minute." He saw her shivering uncontrollably and when he touched her hands it was ice cold, so he took her hands and started rubbing them, trying to keep them warm.

Jan Di looked at him with gratitude. He looked out onto the road. "Ah. Here he is."

Jan Di snuggled up underneath her blankets that night. Ji Hoo had run to the car and grabbed an umbrella, then he ran back to fetch her. Though she thought she was going to freeze to death, thanks to her sunbae she stayed mostly dry. She was so exhausted she fell asleep almost instantly.

The next day she was surprised to find Ji Hoo absent from school. She wondered if he had gotten sick so she tried calling him. He did not pick up.

When he still hadn't called or texted her back by the end of the school day, Jan Di became increasingly worried. She decided to stop by his house.

She arrived at Ji Hoo's house and found Grandfather on his way to the clinic.

"Grandfather!" she called out, as he was getting in the car. Grandfather stopped and smiled when he saw her. He gave her a warm hug. "Geum Jan Di!" he exclaimed.

"Is Ji Hoo here?" she asked, shyly.

Grandfather nodded. "He's inside resting."

"Is he ok?"

Grandfather nodded. Then he leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Poor boy is sick with the flu. I've put him on bed rest. He's stubborn and kept protesting, but he's too weak to get up, and that last medicine I gave him has knocked him out cold." Grandfather was thoughtful for a moment. "He hasn't been feeling well for a couple of days now but he kept insisting he was fine. I guess last night his body finally gave up and showed him who's boss."

Jan Di stood silent. She remembered him running around soaking wet, trying to find her shelter and keep her warm and dry. She didn't know he was already feeling sick back then. Why did she let him run around in the rain? She felt a stab of guilt.

"Can I…see him?" she asked, nervously.

Grandfather nodded. "I just have a few patients waiting for me at the clinic then I'll be back. Don't worry about going there tonight. I'll close early."

Jan Di nodded and then Grandfather left. She went inside the house, tiptoeing so as not to make a sound. She opened his bedroom door slightly and peeked inside.

Ji Hoo laid on the bed, eyes closed. There was a tray of water and food beside him, but it looked untouched. She stepped closer and put her hands on his forehead. He was burning up. She took a washcloth and ran it through cold water, then she wrung it out and placed it gently on his forehead. She started wiping his hands, remembering a few years back when she did the exact same thing to him. She glanced around his room and was startled to see her painting of him hanging on the wall opposite his bed. She smiled, her heart happy that he liked it enough to hang it in his room.

She decided to try to make him something to eat. She made him soup and tried to feed him in his half-asleep state. He was able to eat a little, then he passed out and fell asleep again. She stared at his face as he slept soundly. Her eyes caught a glint of gold, and she noticed the ring that hung on a chain around his neck. She was reminded of the time he had offered it to her and laid his heart out in the open for her, but she was so focused on Jun Pyo that she had rejected it. Her hand darted to the pendant on her neck – the one with the initials J&J carved on it, the one she never took off for fear she might misplace it and the one reminder Jun Pyo had left her.

Jan Di looked at the time. It was getting late. She should leave soon. She glanced at him, unable to leave. In a way, she felt responsible for his plight, so she decided to stay. She could sleep on the couch if she had to. She sat on the chair beside his bed and tried to study. After half an hour though, she couldn't focus. She kept replacing the towel on his head, and he would moan a little now and again.

She glanced around the room and noticed a book on his desk. It was called "The Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems". She flipped through the pages and rolled her eyes. _Oh yay, another exciting book in store for my future_. She was putting it back when a letter fell on the floor. She picked it up and noticed the subject of the letter:

Shinhwa University's Pre-Medical Scholarship Foundation Sponsorship Follow Up

It was dated the year she started at the University. Jan Di was hesitant to read the letter, knowing that it wasn't meant for her, but the name of the scholarship was the same one she received from the University. She quickly read through the letter, glancing at Ji Hoo now and then to ensure he was still sound asleep. In it she learned that the Suam Cultural Foundation had created the scholarship to sponsor an "underprivileged student".

Jan Di sat down, in shock. All this time she thought she had won a scholarship because of her grades. It turned out that Ji Hoo had been paying for her to go through medical school.

She stepped out of his room, still holding the letter. Grandfather sat on the couch staring at her.

"How is he..." he began, but Jan Di cut him off. She brandished the letter in front of him.

"Did you know about this?" She asked, feeling betrayed.

Grandfather looked at the letter, then slowly nodded.

"Why didn't he tell me?" she was angry, hurt and confused.

Grandfather motioned for her to sit down.

"I thought I got in because of me." She said, almost in a whisper.

"You did," he answered.

Grandfather lifted her chin up and looked at her. "You passed the entrance exam on your own. He didn't write the test for you." Grandfather paused. "When Ji Hoo found out you had met the grade requirement to get into medical school, he was so happy. You should have seen him." He smiled sadly at her. "Then he realized that there was no way you could afford to go to university. He researched potential scholarships you could apply to, but found none that matched your qualifications." Grandfather glanced at Ji Hoo's closed door.

"So he started one." He raised his chin up proudly. "My Ji Hoo decided to give those that cannot afford to, a chance to fulfill their dreams."

"But…" Jan Di stammered, though her anger was slowly disappearing. "to do this for me…"

"You were the start, yes. You can call yourself his inspiration." Grandfather winked at her. Jan Di couldn't help but blush. "But I want you to know that the foundation he set up is there to stay. Every year he chooses a low-income student to put through medical school." He smiled. "There are four of you benefiting from this scholarship now. And many more to follow. You should be proud of yourself." She could tell how proud he was of his grandson.

Jan Di was speechless. She looked down at her hands. She was overwhelmed with gratitude, but the hurt was still there. "I just…don't know how I could ever repay him."

Grandfather chuckled. "If he wanted you to repay him, he would have told you about it." He gave her a questioning look. "He didn't give you that letter to read, did he?"

Jan Di lowered her head, embarrassed. She remembered the time when he had shown up unexpectedly at the remote fishing village, with everyone around them demanding money, and he had offered to pay each and every one of them without a second thought. When everyone had left, he had gone to them as though nothing happened. He never mentioned anything about the money to them, and when they tried to bring it up, he just waved his hand dismissively and told them not to worry about it.

"You were never supposed to know." Grandfather scratched his chin. "He didn't even want the name of the foundation attached to the scholarship for fear that you'd suspect something." He leaned closer to her. "I think we should keep this between us and pretend it didn't happen, don't you agree?" Grandfather winked at her again.

Jan Di looked at him and slowly nodded.

Grandfather had insisted she stay in the guest bedroom for the night. It used to be her room, after all. She went inside and found it exactly the same as she had left it – as if it was waiting for her to come back. She smiled at the familiar surrounding and felt right at home. She sat cross-legged on the bed and opened her books. Her mind kept wandering back to what she had just discovered. She had been angry and hurt at first, but now she wasn't so sure. The feeling that every year someone would be able to go to medical school because of something that began with her gave her inexpressible joy. She thought about her grades and frowned. She would have to work really hard and not fail any more classes. She felt that she owed it to Ji Hoo to graduate on time.

She called her mom to tell her she would be staying at Ji Hoo's house. Her mom was so used to her late nights and sleepovers that she didn't ask many questions.

Jan Di didn't bring any clothes with her, but Grandfather had given her a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. She put them on, and it wasn't until she glanced at the mirror that she realized she was wearing Ji Hoo's clothes. It hung loose on her a little bit, but it felt so comfortable and smelled so much like him that she wished she could wear it every day.

She got up and decided to check on Ji Hoo.

When she walked in he was sitting up on the bed. He looked at her, noticed what she was wearing, and gave a crooked smile. Her heart skipped a beat. She smiled back at him shyly, then walked over to his bed. She took a few pillows and stacked it behind him, then casually leaned him back so he would be comfortable. He was still too weak to protest. He looked at the half-empty bowl of food beside him.

"Have you been here long?" he asked, weakly. She nodded then told him not to speak.  
"Save your strength, sunbae," she told him. "You need to get better."

He sighed deeply and closed his eyes. "I'm contagious, you know."

Jan Di laughed. "Yeah, I guess you are." She sat beside him. "But I'm your doctor and you're my patient right now." She checked his temperature and went to replace the towel on his forehead. He wasn't as hot as before, so his fever should be breaking soon. She handed him a cup of water and forced him to drink. She fussed around him for a few minutes while he stared at her, amused.

"I think I like being sick," he smiled, then he closed his eyes again. "I don't ever want to get well."

She frowned at him. "You're missing school. Not that your grades will suffer, of course. But think of all the girls that have wasted their outfits and hair for you today."

He opened one eye and looked at her. "I like your outfit and hair better."

Jan Di blushed. "You need to rest," she said. "Doctor's orders. Flattery will get you nowhere."

Ji Hoo gave a small laugh, but nodded. He was too groggy to argue. Jan Di made sure he was comfortably in bed before she went to her room to lay down. She had a smile plastered on her face that she couldn't wipe off. Ji Hoo never tried to flirt with her openly before, but sick Ji Hoo seemed to have no problem.

 _Must be the medicine,_ she thought, as she drifted off to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Gu Jun Pyo!" Jan Di exclaimed, as she picked up her phone. "I'm running late for class."

"Again?" she heard him say on the line. "Have you ever heard of a thing called an alarm?"

Jan Di made a face, though she knew he couldn't see it. "Ha ha." She brushed her hair furiously. "I have one. How's school going?"

Jun Pyo laughed. "Way to change the subject. All is well, I'm graduating soon." He paused. "I can't believe it's been almost 4 years, Jan Di".

Jan Di paused. The years flew by. "Me too."

She couldn't believe it had been that long since she last saw him. How had she survived? She thought of Ji Hoo and smiled. That's how.

"So, are you excited?" Jun Pyo's voice cut into her thoughts.

"Huh?"

"I'll be home soon!" he exclaimed, excitement in his voice. "It's been a hard and trying four years, Jan Di. I didn't think we'd make it."

"Oh yeah, that."

"How's Ji Hoo?"

She thought for a minute. "He's doing well. He's almost done his clinicals and will also be graduating soon." The thought of Ji Hoo graduating and her not seeing him again around campus made her sad.

"I'll call him one of these days. Me and him need to catch up on things."

Jan Di looked at the time. "I gotta run soon, Jun Pyo. My professor is a terror to those who are tardy."

Jun Pyo laughed. "I'll call you again later." He paused, then added, "I miss you."

Jan Di smiled, though the smile did not reach her eyes. "Me too."

…

Ji Hoo spent less and less time on campus during his clinicals, occasionally dropping by just to head to the library. She spent every free time she had at the library, hoping to run into him. She knew where he headed to most nights, but they were supposed to alternate at the clinic, and her dropping by the art centre unannounced would arouse his suspicion.

The truth was, she missed seeing him.

 _Just ring your emergency bell_ , the voice in her head told her. No, she couldn't. She couldn't take advantage of him like that. She knew how busy he was. Grandfather was going to retire soon, so Ji Hoo had been going to the clinic even on weekends. They considered just selling it when he retired, but Grandfather was not ready for that yet.

She sat down in class and noticed a cup of coffee at her desk. She cocked her head to the side in wonder, turned the cup around and smiled as she saw the smiley face on the side. She drank the still very hot coffee in little sips, savoring it. There was a small paper bag with a chocolate croissant in it and she devoured it hungrily.

She had a feeling it was going to be a good day.

…

Ji Hoo was filling out paperwork at the clinic when his phone rang. He glanced at it.

It was Jun Pyo.

"Hey man, what's up?" Jun Pyo asked, as he picked up.

"Ridiculously busy." Ji Hoo said. "Who knew doctors had to fill out this much paperwork. I thought I'd have more time to nap."

Jun Pyo laughed. They hadn't spoken on the phone in a while. They talked about school, work and got caught up on what the other 2 members of F4 were doing – Song Woo Bin and So Yi Jung. Song Woo Bin was busy expanding their empire, and So Yi Jung had almost fully recovered and was sculpting spectacular pieces again. So Yi Jung was due to come back in Korea around the same time Gu Jun Pyo was coming back.

"I can't wait to see everyone again," Jun Pyo added, excitedly.

Ji Hoo nodded. "Yeah, we miss you, bro."

Jun Pyo was silent for a moment. "You know, I'm going to ask Jan Di to marry me when I get back."

"Do you think she's ready for that?"

Jun Pyo gave a short laugh. "She knew this was coming. Besides, it's not like I'll give her a choice." He paused, then added: "Hey, thanks for looking after her for me."

Ji Hoo shook his head, though Jun Pyo couldn't see it. "No, thank you for letting me look after her."

"She told me how much you've helped her this past 4 years. I can't thank you enough." Jun Pyo paused for a few seconds. "Don't worry, I won't leave her side again when I get back."

Ji Hoo lightly touched the ring that hung on a chain around his neck. "You better not."

Ji Hoo sat there at the clinic, stroking his mother's ring. He had taken it off and was staring at it. He thought of only one girl that deserved that ring, but she had rejected it nonetheless. Confessing to her hadn't been easy for him, and although he didn't expect her to accept it, a part of him had hoped she would.

 _Time's almost up, Ji Hoo._ _Time to let her go._


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Jan Di appraised herself in the mirror. She was wearing a short skirt with black leggings and a pink Hello Kitty sweater. She tucked some stray strands behind her ear and smiled. She didn't know why she was so nervous, because she had done this many times before. She looked at the time.

Sunbae was coming to pick her up any minute now. He had asked if she could spend the day with him, and she had gladly accepted. She hadn't seen him in a week, so she was looking forward to today.

 _Calm down,_ she scolded herself. _It's not a date. You guys are just hanging out. You guys do this all the time_.

He arrived on time. He had a huge grin on his face that made her nervous.

"So, where are we going?" she asked, trying not to sound too excited.

He held up a picnic basket for her to see.

"We're going on a picnic?" she asked, incredulously.

He nodded. "I packed and prepared this myself," he proudly declared.

They went to the park and walked for a few minutes before they found the perfect picnic spot. He laid down a blanket and placed the picnic basket on top. She opened the basket excitedly, amazed that he would make something himself, and found a container with half a dozen pancakes and two small cartons of milk. He had also packed some strawberries, a can of whipped cream and a jar of maple syrup (which he proudly declared was sent by a friend from Canada). He carefully arranged the pancake and strawberries on the plate, poured some maple syrup, and then sprayed whipped cream on top. It was delicious, and she told him so.

Ji Hoo beamed proudly. He then told her funny stories about all the mischiefs the F4 got into when they were little, and she laughed delightedly with him.

They went for a walk by the marina and got onto a cruise boat, where they enjoyed the entertainment while eating lunch. The boat glided slowly along the water. Jan Di leaned against the railing and looked at the water longingly.

"Don't worry," Ji Hoo's voice interrupted her thoughts. "You'll swim again one day."

Jan Di glanced at him and smiled bitterly. "But the doctor said…"

"We'll be doctors too." Ji Hoo interrupted. "We'll show them they're wrong."

Jan Di grinned.

"We _will_ be doctors one day, won't we, sunbae?" Sometimes it felt like a dream to her. _Dr. Geum Jan Di_. It had a nice ring to it.

"We'll be the best-looking doctors out there!" Ji Hoo proclaimed, making her giggle. She thought about all the female patients that would most likely be lining out his door and chuckled. Her sunbae would likely increase hospital visits tenfold, mostly in the female demographic.

His face became serious as he stared at the water with her. "I'll find a way so you could swim again…" he said it so quietly she almost didn't hear it.

After the cruise, Ji Hoo took her to visit Rui. She smiled as she saw the beautiful horse once again, and gently stroked its mane. Ji Hoo just stared at her, and Jan Di felt a little self-conscious. He blinked and looked at Rui. He leaned closer to the horse and nodded.

"He wants you to ride him," he said, smiling.

Jan Di grinned widely and nodded. He helped her get up on the saddle and then he walked beside her quietly. He would stroke Rui's mane now and again, and would glance at her but not say anything. Jan Di closed her eyes as she rode, and inhaled the fresh air around her. She felt so relaxed.

They bade farewell to Rui (after giving him a bushel of carrots as a reward) and walked around town. They decided to check out a fancy clothing store that made Jan Di's eyes pop out whenever she looked at the prices. Ji Hoo disappeared for a few minutes and then came back holding the store's gift bag. He handed it to her casually, a lopsided smile on his beautiful face. She opened it excitedly, carefully taking out the layers of tissue paper the cashier had so meticulously placed inside.

It was a set: a pair of pink fleece lined knitted gloves, a beautifully knitted scarf and a knitted hat to match. They all had a small Hello Kitty logo on them. It matched her sweater perfectly. She squealed in delight and gave him a surprise hug. He froze for a minute - eyes wide, mouth open in shock - and then he recovered and beamed at her.

"How did you know I needed gloves? I lost mine a long time ago." She put the new ones on. It was so warm she never wanted to take them off.

Ji Hoo was avoiding her eyes, his hands stuck in his pockets.

"Your hands are always cold." The truth was, he had held on to her pair of pink gloves for years now, the ones she had left at his house that one night.

They walked by an amusement park. Jan Di's eyes widened at all the bright lights and strange sights in front of her. Ji Hoo, ever observant, started walking towards it. She looked uncertainly at Ji Hoo. It was crowded and ridiculously busy, but if Ji Hoo felt uncomfortable at all, he didn't show it.

They rode on a few carnival rides, where Jan Di giggled and screamed in delight. They passed by a carnival game where you had to shoot at a target to win a prize. Jan Di's eyes went wide at the biggest Pusheen doll she had ever seen. This didn't escape Ji Hoo's notice and he gave the guy some money and then aimed.

The guy didn't look too happy as he handed Jan Di the massive Pusheen doll. Her eyes lit up and she hugged the doll tightly.

"Is there anything you're not good at?" she asked him, teasingly.

He pretended to think for a moment. "Baking. And cooking." He was holding two skewers of twisted potatoes and handed her one. Then he grabbed the doll so she could eat. "Me and the boys used to always go to the shooting range. We've been doing it for years."

They walked around the amusement park eating their potatoes, chattering excitedly about what ride to go on next. Ji Hoo wasn't much for roller coasters, but she got him to ride one anyway. She decided not to enter any more game contests to win other prizes, since the doll they won was so big that it took an extra seat on every ride they went on.

Finally, they decided to go on the Ferris wheel. It went around slowly, and then stopped when they were at the top. The view of the city was breathtaking from there. It was windy, and Jan Di felt a little chilly. Ji Hoo took off his coat and draped it around her. She shook her head, afraid he'd catch a cold, but he wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Sunbae," she began, admiring the scenic lights in front of them. "Thank you. This was one of the best days of my life." She was smiling from ear to ear. "You always know how to make me smile."

He smiled back at her but didn't say anything.

 _At least for one brief moment, I was the reason behind your smile._ He thought, ruefully.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Jan Di ran for the bus, screaming for it to wait. She got on just in time, and one of the seniors at the front gave her a hard time for being late. She apologized, went to the back of the bus and sat down. She was startled to see Ji Hoo sitting there.

"Sunbae!" she exclaimed. When she heard he was going on this volunteering trip, she had tried her best to get in too. Since he was graduating his schedule had been ridiculously busy, so she hadn't seen him as much as she hoped. Her grades had suffered terribly because of that too.

They arrived at the small village and started setting up. Jan Di was busy helping the senior students but kept making mistakes, much to her frustration. She glanced and saw Ji Hoo sitting with the kids. _He would be a great pediatrician one day,_ she thought, as she walked over to him.

A little girl ran to him and gave him a hug. The kids had started calling him Doctor Prince. Most of them wanted to marry him when they grew up. Ji Hoo just smiled at them, his eyes bright. Jan Di sighed. She lamented on how easy school had been for Ji Hoo while she was quite possibly doomed to repeat another year. Graduation seemed such a distant possibility to her right now. She told him she never would even have made it this far if it weren't for him.

"You were my source of strength, sunbae."

"So, you want me to repeat too?" he asked, smiling.

She made a face. A part of her was afraid that if she said yes, he might actually do it.

They were interrupted by a loud noise and dust flying everywhere. They looked up and saw a helicopter flying above. A familiar voice echoed below: "Commoner, can you hear me?" it said, which was unmistakably the voice of Jun Pyo. "Geum Jan Di, respond. If you're there, meet me at the beach."

Jan Di furrowed her brow in wonder. "Gu Jun Pyo?" she asked, though she already knew the answer. She turned questioningly at Ji Hoo. "How did he know I was here?"

"I told him," he answered. "Go see him."

Jan Di walked slowly to the beach, still in disbelief. Jun Pyo stood there, waiting. He looked at his watch and frowned. "You took five minutes! Can't you walk faster?"

"Gu Jun Pyo, what's going on?" she asked as she reached him.

Why didn't she run to him and give him a hug? She wondered. What was wrong with her? She hadn't seen him in four years, for goodness' sake!

"What do you mean?" he asked. He was wearing a suit. His once curly hair was now straight. Jan Di's heart hammered in her chest.

"Gu Jun Pyo has come back for Geum Jan Di." He made fun of her white gown, as she still stared at him not believing her eyes. After four years...

"It's really Gu Jun Pyo", she declared, her eyes brimming with tears.

He pulled her in for a hug. She had her hands in her pockets, and didn't hug him back. He was a little disappointed at her lack of affection, but he shrugged it off. "I missed you," he said. "Enough to die. I'm never letting you go again."

Jun Pyo looked at her. "You promised, didn't you?" he began, "that when I come back you'd take responsibility of me?"

She laughed at this. "Look here," she said, "I never promised you anything. I said I would think about it."

Jun Pyo's face became serious and he knelt in front of her. Jan Di was panicking inside.

 _I'm not ready for this!_ She cried. He presented her with a ring.

"Geum Jan Di, please marry this great Gu Jun Pyo."

Jan Di was in full panic mode but her face remained expressionless. She didn't want him to think she was rejecting him, but she knew she wasn't ready to get married either. _Help_ , she cried silently. The few seconds of silence that passed by seemed like hours.

"I object to that proposal!" a voice cried out.

Jan Di sighed inwardly. She knew that voice from anywhere. He must have heard her emergency bell on full blast.

"I object too!" another voice shouted.

"Me too!" and yet one more piped in. Jan Di was delighted to see her other two sunbaes walking towards them.

"You guys can't get married easily without our approval!" Woo Bin shouted, smiling.

Jun Pyo smiled back at his friends. He had told them to come witness this moment. Granted, it hadn't exactly ended the way he wanted, but he was glad to see them nonetheless. He gave them each a hug and they all stared wistfully at the ocean. They laughed and filled each other in about their lives. They were all back together, at least for the time being.

For today, it was all that mattered.

…

Jan Di found the next few days that Jun Pyo was back a little…awkward. She may have escaped responding to his proposal when they were at the beach, but she couldn't escape it forever. He brought it up every chance he got.

"What's your rush?" she asked him one day.

He pouted. "You would think one would be dying to marry the great Gu Jun Pyo."

She smirked at him. "I told you I'd think about it."

"What's there to think about?" he asked, curious.

Jan Di was quiet for a moment. She knew this day was coming. She had four years to prepare for it. So why was she delaying it? "I want to finish school first."

Jun Pyo rolled his eyes. "You can do that after we get married. Actually, I'd prefer it if you continued your studies in New York."

She stared at him, in disbelief. "I'm supposed to drop everything here and follow you?"

"Well, yeah." He leaned closer to her. His face was inches from her. She turned her head away from him, feeling uncomfortable. "Marry me." He whispered in her ear. He took her left hand and slipped the ring on her finger before she realized what he was doing. "See, it looks nice on you."

She looked at it and forced a smile.

He looked at his watch. "Oh yeah, mother wants you to come over for dinner tomorrow night. Father wants to meet you too." His dad had finally woken up from his coma a few months ago.

Jan Di's heart lurched. "Tomorrow night?"

Jun Pyo nodded. "Yeah, don't worry, my sister will be there too. And mother doesn't really hate you anymore."

 _Great_ , she thought nervously. _This should be fun_. _Like getting my teeth pulled kind of fun_.

…

To say dinner was awkward would be an understatement. Jan Di sat there, staring at her food. They said it was beef wellington - which, she noted, was just beef wrapped in puff pastry. She tried a small piece, savoring every bite. It was good, she supposed.

She tried to smile now and then. Jun Pyo sat beside her, talking excitedly about something he did while he was in New York. He seemed to love it there and kept talking about possibly settling down there with her. Jan Di sat there quietly, her mind drifting off elsewhere.

"So Jan Di, have you guys decided when the wedding is yet?" Madam Kang asked, staring intently at her.

Jan Di almost choked on a piece of beef. "Not exactly," she stammered.

"A spring wedding would be perfect," Madam Kang continued. "It will be in line with the opening of our new shopping mall. We could use the publicity to our advantage."

Jun Pyo gave his mother a warning look.

Madam Kang arched an eyebrow. "I'm just saying, you guys should pick a strategic date." Madam Kang smiled widely, though Jan Di thought it looked a little forced. "It will be the wedding of the century. We'll show them Shinhwa is back at the top." She beamed at Jun Pyo. "Thanks to our Jun Pyo and our Jun Hee of course." She noticed that Jan Di had stopped eating. "You don't like beef wellington?" She asked, an eyebrow raised.

Jan Di shook her head nervously. "No, it's really good." She stuck her fork on a piece of beef and started chewing it faster than she should.

Madam Kang sighed. "Good. It's probably a relief from all that fish you've been eating."

At the mention of fish Jan Di's thoughts drifted off to a warm summer evening when she, Ji Hoo and Grandfather had gone fishing. Jan Di had managed to catch the biggest fish of the day, and they sat in anticipation as she cooked her famous spicy fish stew.

"I like fish," she muttered under her breath.

"Did you say something?" Jun Pyo asked.

Jan Di looked up from her plate. "I make really good spicy fish stew."

Madam Kang wrinkled her nose and said, "that's nice."

All throughout dinner Jun Pyo's dad sat quietly observing them all. Jan Di kept glancing at him nervously and once she caught his eye he just gave a little nod. Jun Hee was delighted that they're finally getting married, and offered to help her in planning it.

Jan Di sat there, unable to move. She noticed the ring on her finger. It was a solitaire ring, with a huge 2 carat diamond on top. It was probably worth ten times the cost of her house. She frowned when she realized she actually hadn't said yes yet, but she felt it would raise too many questions if she took if off and handed it back to Jun Pyo now.

 _That Jun Pyo_ , she thought, _he didn't give me a choice_ _,_ _did he_?

From the moment she met him he hadn't given her a choice or considered how she felt. He had forced himself into her life, and she had fallen in love with him eventually.

Or did she?

She knew the guilt she felt when she hurt him, even though she never asked him to do all those things for her. He had done them expecting that she'd like him back for it.

"Is something wrong?" Jun Pyo asked, as they walked around his garden that night. The moon was bright and she could see a few stars twinkling in the night sky. He had taken her hand and intertwined their fingers.

"Huh?" Her mind must have drifted off again.

"Aren't you excited to see me?" The hurt was evident in his voice.

Jan Di felt a little tug of guilt inside. "Of course, I am."

"It doesn't feel like it." He looked at her, then leaned over closer to her face.

Jan Di swallowed hard. His face was inches away from hers. She closed her eyes, and waited.

Jun Pyo shook his head and sighed. He pulled away. "Are you mad at me? This isn't what I expected, you know."

Her mind raced. _What did you expect? You left me for four years! You never even came to visit once! We've spent way more time apart than together in the course of our relationship, and the times we spent together we were mostly arguing. All I can remember of our time together was when I was crying or pining for you! Or being terrified out of my wits because your mother was hell bent on ruining my life!_

She wanted to scream those out loud but she couldn't. She just couldn't. She had no idea she had all this pent-up anger inside her.

 _It's not his fault,_ she tried to calm herself down. _You love him. It's not his fault._

"I'm sorry," was what she said.

...

When Jan Di saw the black car parked outside her house, her heart leapt with excitement.

 _He's here to pick me up_! She hadn't seen Ji Hoo for almost two weeks.

She opened the door and got in, only to find a grumpy looking Gu Jun Pyo looking back at her. She couldn't hide the disappointment on her face.

"You really go to school this early?" he yawned. He handed her a cup of coffee. Her eyes darted automatically to the side and her heart sank a little when she didn't see the smiley face drawn there.

"How did you…" she began

"Ji Hoo told me," Jun Pyo interrupted before she could finish. "He thought I should take over now that I'm back."

Jan Di sat in silence, sipping her coffee. It even tasted different.

 _Why am I like this?_

She looked at Jun Pyo, who sat there with his hand tucked under his chin, eyes closed.

 _This is the guy you chose_ , she reminded herself. _Sunbae has given you back to him. He wants you to be with him._

An overwhelming wave of sadness washed over her. She looked out the window.

The sun was shining brightly that day, but somehow, it just wasn't bright enough for her.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Jun Pyo picked her up after school and wanted to hang out with her. She told him she had to study in the library, but he insisted she study in _his_ library. After a lot of pouting (from him), she finally relented. She sat in his library, unable to study because Jun Pyo kept interrupting.

"Gu Jun Pyo! If you're not going to be quiet I won't be able to study here!" she scolded him.

Jun Pyo made a face but turned the tv on and sat on the couch. He was watching the news.

Jan Di began scribbling some notes for an upcoming exam. She was thinking about how nice it would be if Ji Hoo was there to help her when she heard Min Seo Hyun's name on the TV. She looked up just in time to see a smiling Min Seo Hyun arm in arm with a very handsome looking man. The headline below read:

Model Min Seo Hyun engaged to French Politician Jacques Bernier. Wedding scheduled in May.

Jan Di dropped the pen she was holding.

 _Oh no, no, no._ Her mind was in a panic. _Sunbae_!

Jun Pyo looked at her and saw the expression on her face. "Hey, you ok?"

She gathered her things quickly and stood up. "I have to go."

…

Jan Di couldn't find Ji Hoo anywhere. She went to the library, the clinic, his house, the cultural center, but didn't see him there. She even went to visit Rui in the stables. Jun Pyo had insisted on coming along. They tried to call him but he didn't pick up. She was getting increasingly worried. Grandfather had said he had gone for a ride - where to, he didn't know. They called Yi Jung and Woo Bin to see if they had heard from him, but they couldn't contact him either.

Jan Di was on edge, as she sat there biting her nails. They were at Ji Hoo's house waiting for him to come home. Grandfather had gone to sleep, oblivious to what was happening.

"Hey," Jun Pyo called out. "He'll be ok. It's Ji Hoo we're talking about. He's just driving around wanting to be alone with his thoughts." He meant to sound comforting but it had the opposite effect on her.

 _Where are you sunbae? Are you ok?_ She thought, terrified. Images of Ji Hoo lying unconscious in a ditch somewhere appeared in her mind. She tried to shake them off.

Jun Pyo looked at the time. "It's late. You have school tomorrow. Let me drive you home and I'll keep trying to contact him." Jan Di thought of resisting but she knew Jun Pyo wouldn't take no for an answer.

She waited until his car was out of sight before she went out again. She tried to think of where he could be. She walked along the city, hoping for a clue as to his whereabouts. She reached the park they normally went to and her eyes widened as she saw his familiar form sitting hunched on the bench.

She walked slowly towards him, unsure if her eyes were deceiving her. He was staring at the river, and he looked exhausted, his eyes half lidded. She wanted to pull him into her arms and comfort him, but she hesitated, and instead she sat down beside him. He didn't look at her – she didn't know if he even registered her presence. He sat there, staring at nothing, lost in his own thoughts. He turned to look at her and when she saw the broken expression on his face her heart shattered into a million pieces.

 _He must really love her still,_ she thought, fighting the tears that were about to come out. _I'm sorry, sunbae_ , she whispered. He was still looking at her but his expression remained unchanged so she figured he was still lost in his thoughts somewhere. She didn't know how long they sat there, but he finally stood up and turned to walk away. Jan Di stepped in front of him and hugged him tightly. "It's going to be ok, sunbae. I'm here for you," she cried softly. "I'm here for you."

He raised a hand and slowly stroked her cheek with his thumb. And then he turned and walked away, leaving her standing alone in the night.

…

Ji Hoo knew about Min Seo Hyun's engagement before it even hit the news. She had called and told him herself. He congratulated her and wished her the best. He searched his feelings for any sign of jealousy or bitterness or pain, but found none. He really was over her.

He had planned to go to the library hoping to catch a glimpse of Jan Di that evening and was not disappointed. He saw her walking hand in hand with Jun Pyo and noticed the massive ring on her finger. His hand automatically darted to the ring that hung on his neck. His heart sank and he decided to head home.

He was watching the news when Min Seo Hyun and her fiancé were shown. He thought they looked good together and noted how happy she looked. His thoughts went to another impending wedding – Jun Pyo and Jan Di's. The reality of losing her forever slapped him square in the face. He couldn't breathe, his heart raced erratically inside his chest.

He needed to get some air. He needed to think. He got on his bike and rode to nowhere in particular. The sadness he felt enveloped him like a blanket.

He had hoped…but hope was a dangerous thing. He knew this was coming.

It didn't hurt any less though. He didn't know how long he rode for, but he found himself back at the park where he often went with Jan Di. He plopped himself on the bench, alone with his thoughts. _What did you expect?_ He scolded himself. He thought about his best friend Gu Jun Pyo and Jan Di walking down the aisle. Gu Jun Pyo had even asked him to be his best man and he had agreed to it. He would stand there and smile, like he always had, even though inside it would feel as though a million daggers were piercing his heart. He was good at covering his feelings.

He looked over and saw Geum Jan Di sitting on the bench.

 _Great_ , he thought. _Now I'm hallucinating her._

He wanted to laugh but he couldn't find the energy to do so. He was so exhausted and his head ached, as though a drill was going through it. She looked at him with such sad eyes he thought his heart would break again.

 _Even imaginary Jan Di feels bad for you._

He sat there staring at her, amazed at how his mind could conjure up such a perfect replica of her. Finally, he stood up and turned to leave. Imaginary Jan Di stepped in front of him and held him tight. She was crying, and kept telling him it would be ok, that she was there for him, over and over again. He brushed her cheek gently with his thumb, wiping away the tears that kept falling down on it.

 _I wish I knew how to quit you_ , he thought, as he slowly walked away.

…

Jun Pyo seemed to have a permanent scowl etched on his face lately. He sat on the couch, arms folded, brows furrowed, muttering unintelligible words to himself.

"You know, if you keep making that face it will freeze permanently into place."

Jun Pyo looked and saw his sister walking towards him, holding a glass of wine. She sat down beside him and flashed him a wide smile. "You look troubled, little brother. What seems to be bothering you?"

He scowled even deeper.

Jun Hee was used to her brother's temperament. She took a long, slow sip of her wine and set the glass down on the table. "Let me guess," she began, twirling a lock of her hair, "this is about Jan Di, isn't it?"

Jun Pyo's scowl disappeared for a split-second only, but this didn't escape her notice.

"Ok, spill." She turned to face him and cocked her head to the side. "You guys have a fight?"

"No."

"What was the fight about?"

Jun Pyo uncrossed his arms. "We did NOT fight. It's just that," he trailed off, unsure of how to continue. "I just thought..." He closed his eyes and sighed. "She seems very distant lately."

Jun Hee clasped her hands in front of her. "You mean she feels more distant now that you're together than when you guys were thousands of miles apart?"

Jun Pyo did not reply. Jun Hee nodded slowly. "I see." she said.

"I thought she'd be so thrilled to have me back she'd stick beside me every minute." His scowl was back. "But I've hardly seen her this week. It's like I'm intruding into her life."

Jun Hee sighed, sympathetically. "She probably just needs time to adjust. She had a very busy life here while you were gone. She's still going through medical school, which is no easy task." She arched an eyebrow. "Don't you already know all this?"

"What do you mean?" Jun Pyo decided to play dumb.

"I mean, you had eyes on her all this time, didn't you?"

Jun Pyo stared at her in astonishment. "How did you know..."

"My little brother," her voice was gentle, as if she was speaking to a child, "if you're going to hire a private investigator, make sure you don't charge it to Shinhwa."

She leaned close to his ear. "I approve all paperwork, remember?"

She stood up, took a few steps, and then turned back to face him. "Did you purposely leave Ji Hoo to look after her because he owed you a debt?" She put a finger under her chin. "You know how he feels about her. But he owes you his life, hence his loyalty. Knowing that poor boy, he must have been so conflicted." She smiled a sad smile. "But based on the reports and pictures I've seen, I guess loyalty won."

Jun Pyo sat on the couch thinking, long after his sister had left. It was true, aside from a couple of instances that got him a little worried (that he later slyly asked Jan Di about), most of what he'd seen had been pretty normal behavior for the two of them. Most of the pictures were just them studying, so after a while he called off the investigator (who by then had been bored to tears). He thought of Ji Hoo, his closest friend, and felt a twinge of guilt. Every time he spoke to Ji Hoo, he would specifically thank him for looking after her _for him_. It was a subtle reminder to his friend who owned Jan Di. At least if she was with Ji Hoo he always knew where she was and didn't have to worry about other guys hanging around with her. True, he was taking a risk with Ji Hoo – but he'd known him all his life, and he firmly believed he would never betray him.

At least not on purpose.

He looked at his phone and decided to call Jan Di.

"Hello Gu Jun Pyo," she sounded tired.

"Where are you?"

"In the library studying."

He made a face. "You seem to study twice as much as normal students."

"I'm not as smart as the other students so I have to work twice as hard."

"Can I come see you?"

She thought for a minute. "I'll come see you after."

He sat straight up. "Really?"

"Yeah, I'll bring you some fish cakes."

He was smiling now. "Bring lots. I'm starving."

Jan Di sighed heavily. It wasn't like she was avoiding Gu Jun Pyo...it just felt a little awkward being around him since he got back. She couldn't figure out why, but maybe it was because talking on the phone was a lot different than being side by side every day. They've never had the luxury of that before. They'd always shared stolen, forbidden moments which was exciting back then, but now that they had no obstacles...well, why didn't she feel free? Instead something inside her seemed to be resisting. She was so muddled inside.

 _Sunbae_.

He popped up in her head unexpectedly. Since the news of Min Seo Hyun's engagement, he had become more distant. She tried to catch glimpses of him from afar every day – afraid to venture closer. _He needs time to grieve,_ she thought. _I will give him the space he needs._ She looked at her watch and thought for a moment. If she left now, she should still have enough time to catch a glimpse of her sunbae and visit Jun Pyo after. She had to see how he was doing or she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. She packed up her things and headed to the art center. The clinic had been closed for a few weeks now while Ji Hoo focused on his last few weeks before graduation. Grandfather was taking a much-needed sabbatical.

She arrived at the art centre to find it completely empty. There was no one around. She walked a few steps towards the main auditorium and heard soft music coming out of it. She cracked a smile, happy that she found him right away. She opened the door slowly and stepped in. All the lights were out except for the spotlights that shone directly onto the stage. He sat there, his back to her, fingers dancing methodically on the piano.

She sat on a chair near the door, where it was dark, content on just watching him from there. He was playing Canon in D by Pachelbel. She recognized it as one of the songs he had tried to teach her once. He didn't seem to hear her enter.

He finished playing and paused for a moment. She saw him flex his fingers on both hands as he prepared to play the next piece. He only had to play the first 4 notes for her mind to recognize what song it was. It was her song, the one he made for her. Her heart leapt up to her throat. He played it so beautifully, with so much emotion poured into it, that she could feel every note strike at her heart. Tears rolled down her cheeks before she could stop it.

And then, just when he was nearing the end of the song, he stopped abruptly.

Jan Di sat up straight in her seat. Did he notice her sitting there in the dark? But he didn't turn around. He lowered his head and his shoulders began shaking softly.

It was then that she realized he was crying. _Her sunbae was crying._ She had never seen him cry like this before. Her heart felt like there was an icy hand squeezing it firmly in its grip. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't look at him like that anymore. She knew his heart must be full of anguish, that he must be so broken right now. She just wished she knew how to help him mend it. She stepped outside quietly, sobbing silently.

She thought about calling Min Seo Hyun but then decided against it.

 _What good would that do?_ She scolded herself. She couldn't ask her to cancel her engagement, and the last time she had tried to "help" didn't turn out so well. She had to do something though. He had always been there for her.

Yes, he had. Now it was her turn. He needed her.

 _I can be your firefighter too, sunbae_.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Jan Di showed up bright and early at Ji Hoo's house the next day. She went to visit Jun Pyo the night before, but didn't stay long much to his dismay.

Ji Hoo was just coming out of the shower when she arrived. He had a towel draped around his waist.

Jan Di gasped and quickly averted her eyes. Ji Hoo ran a hand through his wet, disheveled hair, embarrassed.

"Umm…you're up early today," he managed to say.

Jan Di's head was turned away, which was a good thing because she was turning a deep shade of red. "I…um…" she stammered.

"Let me go change." He went inside his room and got dressed unusually fast. He was wearing a pale-yellow sweater with white horizontal stripes on top of a white collared shirt and a pair of jeans. He slipped on his favorite white coat to finish his ensemble. He gave her a puzzled look. "Is Jun Pyo outside?"

"No. I just thought I'd go to school today with you."

"Oh. I'm not going to school today."

"Oh."

"Yeah, I have enough credits to graduate already." He smiled at her, that smile of his that he gave her so often, and Jan Di wondered for a moment if she had imagined what she saw the night before.

"If Jun Pyo's not coming, I can drop you off school?"

She nodded almost too quickly before she could stop herself.

She debated skipping school that day so she could hang out with him, but she didn't have the luxury to miss her classes. It felt like a hundred years passed by when her last class finally ended. He had told her he would be in the music room that afternoon and sure enough, she found him sitting there playing his violin.

"Sunbae," she began, a huge grin spreading on her face, "let's go somewhere."

He looked puzzled. "Where?"

Jan Di had thought long and hard where to take Ji Hoo that afternoon. She remembered the only date they ever had when he took her to Namsan tower. She had been feeling extremely guilty about having hurt Jun Pyo back then, so she couldn't focus on their date. She remembered him saying that was his first time riding the cable car, and she was such a miserable date then she was sure he didn't enjoy himself. She decided she was going to take him there, and this time, she was going to be a great tour guide. Before, everything in Namsan tower reminded her of Jun Pyo and made her sad. But she felt different now. She was going to make her memories of that place happy. Her focus was on making her sunbae smile again.

His eyes widened when they arrived at Namsan tower. His face was full of questions he never bothered asking her. He just followed her lead, listening as she showed him around. They stepped into the cable car and he looked out the glass window. She stood close to him, their arms touching. She began pointing out the landmarks (she was sure he knew them, but she was pretending to be his tour guide so he played dumb). When he pointed to a building far away that she didn't know of, she made up an answer that left them both laughing hysterically at each other.

They were sitting on the floor talking when his eyes caught the writing on the wall across from them. Jan Di froze. She had forgotten all about it.

The writing read, "Gu Jun Pyo and Geum Jan Di's first night together." It was too late for her to cover it, so she sat there, turning beet red. They weren't even together then but Jun Pyo wrote that to stake a claim on her. Thankfully, Ji Hoo didn't say anything about it and acted as though he never saw it, much to her relief.

"We should probably go," she heard him say after a while. "It's getting late."

She asked if he could stop by the campus first, as she had to get something from her locker. He nodded and drove her to school.

They walked side by side on the way back to his car.

"How are things with Jun Pyo?" his question caught her off guard.

"Good, I guess. I've gone for dinner a few times at their house now." She made a face. He laughed.

"That bad, huh?"

"It was so awkward, sunbae. Madam Kang still scares me. I mean, she's trying to be um, nice to me, I guess. But it gives me goosebumps every time she smiles at me. She wants me to take a class on high society etiquette so I can 'blend' in easily with them." She faced him, frowning. "I think I liked it better when she hated me."

Ji Hoo playfully messed up her hair. "You're still a funny one, aren't you?"

She beamed at him and punched him playfully on the shoulder.

Ji Hoo stopped dead in his tracks. A black car was parked right in front of them. The door opened, and Madam Kang stepped out, head high and walking straight towards them. Jan Di's smile disappeared from her face.

"I thought I might find you here," she began, accusingly. It took a minute for Jan Di to realize she was addressing her. "Did you know my son is looking for you?"

Jan Di looked confused. Jun Pyo could have just called her. He didn't have to send his mother after her.

"I think it's quite improper for a woman who's _engaged_ to someone, to be seen hanging out so much with _another_ man, don't you?" Her tone was hard, her voice laced with condescension.

"Excuse me?" She couldn't believe she was hearing this. "Are you saying I can't hang out with him? With your son's _best friend_?"

 _With my best friend? With my soulmate?_ She wished she could say those out loud.

Ji Hoo stood there, his hands at his sides, his fists clenching and unclenching. He was silent, but his gaze was hard and steady.

"Yes," she stated, matter-of-factly. She motioned for two men in black suits to come over. "Go put her in the car. We can bring her home." Mr. Jung, the Gu family's head of security, stood quietly beside Madam Kang. He seemed uncomfortable at this exchange.

Jan Di's eyes narrowed. "No. I'm staying here. If he wants to see me, he can come here."

Madam Kang sighed, as though Jan Di was too stupid to understand. "Come along, I don't have time for this."

Ji Hoo stepped in front of Jan Di, arms out protectively. "She wants to stay."

Madam Kang rolled her eyes. "I heard." She looked at Ji Hoo, amusement on her face. "You _should_ know your place." Her eyebrow arched, as if she was telling Ji Hoo, _I can still make her life hell. And yours too_.

Ji Hoo looked and saw Mr. Jung's pleading eyes. _Please don't resist, or you'll only make it worse_ , his eyes seemed to say.

Jan Di saw Ji Hoo's shoulder drop, as if whatever courage he had vanished. It made her furious. She opened her mouth to speak, but Ji Hoo touched her gently on the arm and shook his head.

"Go with them," he prodded. His eyes looked defeated. "I'll be ok."

Jan Di had no desire to go with them, but since Ji Hoo had asked her, she reluctantly conceded.

She was fuming in the car as she sat across from Madam Kang who was purposely ignoring her as she read the Financial Post.

"Why would you do that?" she finally managed to speak. "We weren't doing anything wrong! He's my best friend too!"

Madam Kang folded the paper and narrowed her eyes. "I heard my Jun Pyo complaining about how you spend more time with that pretty boy than him." She crossed her arms at her chest and managed to scorch Jan Di with a look. "What game are you playing, exactly? First it was, 'I'll do anything to get Jun Pyo'. And now that you have him you're shoving him aside?"

Jan Di was speechless. She knew there was some truth to Madam Kang's words. She lowered her head and bit her lower lip.

Madam Kang seemed satisfied at her reaction. "I thought so."

…

Jun Pyo was in the games room playing pool when Jan Di stormed in, smoke coming out of her ears.

"You sent _your mother_ to get me?" It wasn't a question.

Jun Pyo shrugged, unaware of the volcano about to erupt beside him. "She said she was on her way out anyway. I just asked her to keep an eye out for you."

Jan Di smacked his back. Jun Pyo flinched. "Why didn't you call? Or text?"

"I did."

Jan Di froze in place. She remembered feeling her phone vibrate earlier, but she ignored it. The fight left her as a feeling of guilt swept in. She hunched her shoulders. "I'm sorry, Jun Pyo." She sat down beside him. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

He looked at her, face serious. "Is everything ok…between us?"

She looked at him, this guy she fought so hard for to be with. "I think so." _I hope so_. She forced a smile and gave him a hug.

"Good," his face broke into a mischievous grin. "Because tomorrow things are about to get hectic."

…

The next day news about the heir of Shinhwa's engagement got "leaked" to the media.

Jan Di was horrified to find throngs of reporters waiting for her to step outside her door. Apparently, having one of Korea's most eligible bachelors engaged to a "commoner" was big news. Jan Di felt suffocated by all the attention. The paparazzi was relentless in their pursuit of her. She couldn't even go to school or the library without hearing hundreds of shutters click continuously. What she wore and ate were put up for public scrutiny. She felt very uncomfortable and refused to even leave her room after a few days. Even her mother and brother, both of whom revelled in the attention at first, had gotten tired of it.

 _When will this end?_ She thought. She had begged Jun Pyo to make it stop, but he told her to just wait it out. Sooner or later some other big news will come out and she would be old news again. That is, until their wedding. Madam Kang seemed pleased with all the publicity they were getting. Jun Pyo had tried to visit her a few times, but she was in no mood for visitors.

She had gotten a call from Ji Hoo though. He just wanted to make sure she was ok.

"I'm anything but ok, sunbae."

A pause.

"Sorry I can't come rescue you. I'd have to turn invisible to get past all the eyes watching you, and I haven't quite mastered it yet." She heard him sigh. "Apparently it's impossible. But you know me – I love a challenge!"

She chuckled. She missed this. "How have you been?" She was worried about him too, since she hadn't seen him since Madam Kang took her away.

"I'm good." Another pause. "You know, you're going to have to get used to this, Jan Di. This is Jun Pyo's life. They're always being watched." He sighed. "That's the price of being a billionaire."

She scowled. "I don't think it's something I'll ever get used to."

"Just take it a day at a time."

She imagined him smiling right then, and her heart gave a little jump. "Thanks, sunbae."

…

True enough, it was almost 3 weeks before a huge scandal broke with one of their top actresses and most of the paparazzi shifted their attention away from her. Jan Di's life wasn't as exciting as they expected anyway. A couple of them still lingered around, but Jan Di managed to pretend they didn't exist and went about with her daily life.

"Told you," Jun Pyo had picked her up that morning.

"How could you possibly enjoy all that?"

He shrugged. "I guess I'm just used to it."

 _I don't know if I'll ever get used to it._ She thought to herself. Jun Pyo took her hand and held it in his. He leaned over and was a few inches from her face. She hadn't kissed him at all since he got back. He had tried many times to, but she always moved away. She closed her eyes as his lips touched hers.

 _Sunbae_ , her mind whispered.

Her eyes popped wide open, her heart hammering in her chest. Jun Pyo noticed the split-second change in her expression and pulled away. She dropped her eyes, unable to look at him.

 _What is wrong with me?_ They sat in silence for the rest of the ride.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"Hey," Jun Pyo greeted, as he walked towards his best friend. Ji Hoo was crouched on the ground, holding a bag of sliced bread. He was feeding the fish in the pond in front of him. The fish nibbled hungrily at the pieces of bread, and in less than five minutes the bag he was holding was empty. Ji Hoo stood up, brushed the crumbs off his pants, and sat on a nearby bench.

"Sorry about my mom." Jun Pyo continued. "I wasn't expecting her to actually come after you."

Ji Hoo stayed silent. His eyes were closed, his head tilted back.

"Why didn't you come visit?"

Jun Pyo was taken aback. "Huh?"

"Why didn't you come visit _her_ , even once?" Ji Hoo did not beat around the bush.

Jun Pyo sat there, unable to speak. He was contemplating how to answer. Finally, he lowered his head. "I was afraid."

Ji Hoo opened his eyes. "Afraid?"

Jun Pyo nodded. "I was afraid." He turned away, unable to meet his friend's eyes. "I had made the decision to leave for four years. I was afraid that if I went back and saw her, even once, that I wouldn't want to leave. That I would lose my resolve. Then I wouldn't have been able to stick to my plan." He stared at a woman struggling to push a stroller through the grass across the pond. "I asked her to visit several times but she never did." They both sat silent for a few minutes. Finally, he turned to his friend. "Tell me, Ji Hoo…did anything happen between the two of you while I was gone?"

"No." Ji Hoo's answer was quick. Certain. "Why do you ask?"

"Jan Di seems different…."

"You're just not used to her."

"I should be."

"Yes, you should." Ji Hoo placed a gentle arm on his shoulder. "You will. Give it time."

Jun Pyo cracked a smile, then his face turned serious. "I know you still have feelings for her, and yet you're always helping us get back together. Don't you think it would be a lot easier for you to win her over if you just let us fight?"

"I don't want to win her that way." Ji Hoo's gaze was far away. "I don't want her to go to me just because she's mad at you, or because she can't have you." He paused. "If she comes to me, I want it to be because she wanted to, because she fully and completely loved me and not because she had no choice."

Jun Pyo nodded slowly. In a way, he understood. He had always wondered why Ji Hoo never took advantage of their situation. "Don't you want to fight for her?"

Ji Hoo ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "It's ok to fight for someone _who_ loves you. It's not ok to fight for someone _to_ love you. There's a huge difference." His words were filled with sadness. "Jan Di loves you. I never really stood a chance." He said the last words almost in a whisper. His fingers went to the ring around his neck.

Jun Pyo thought about how Jan Di had been acting lately. Somewhere deep inside of him stirred restlessly, as if warning him. Somehow, he wasn't sure that Jan Di loved him completely. If she ever did. She wasn't much for expressing or telling her feelings out loud. He picked up a rock and started skipping it across the pond. "I think I'll ask her to move to New York with me."

Ji Hoo glanced at him, but he didn't say anything.

"I like it there, you know? I like the people, the pace of life, everything."

"Do you think she'd like it there too?" Ji Hoo asked.

Jun Pyo sighed. "I don't know. Eventually, she might." He put an arm around Ji Hoo.

"Just promise me you'll take good care of her." Ji Hoo said, softly.

Jun Pyo could see the pain in his friend's eyes. He swallowed hard. He thought of Jan Di – of her looking happy and content whenever she was with Ji Hoo. He thought of her awkwardness around him. A stab of pain went through his heart. Maybe he made a mistake leaving her. He took a deep breath. He couldn't give up now. Maybe she was just nervous. She would get used to him again, wouldn't she? He knew that technically she hadn't said yes to his proposal, but she hadn't said no either.

"I will." Jun Pyo patted his friend on the back. "Thanks, my friend. For everything."

 _I'm sorry, Ji Hoo_ , he thought, inwardly. _I can't give her up._

…

"Hurry up," Jun Pyo called impatiently. "We're going to be late for our own dinner." He looked at his watch. Another half an hour and the dinner was going to start.

Jan Di frowned at him. "How many dinners do we have to go to?" She raised up her left hand and started counting with her fingers. "I mean, we've been to what? 7 or 8 the last 2 weeks alone!"

Jun Pyo grabbed her hand and was practically dragging her to the car. "But this one is special. My friends are going to be there!"

At this, he seemed to have caught Jan Di's attention. She looked at him questioningly. "Really?" She knew he didn't really have many friends. " _All_ of them?" She was specifically looking forward to seeing one. Since Madam Kang's scare, Ji Hoo had kept his distance (even more so than usual). She had tried calling and texting him several times, but his replies had been quick. Brief, but still polite. She had tried sneaking in to see him perform at the art centre, but all she's seen of him the last 2 weeks was the back of his head as he headed out the door.

She looked at her outfit. "Wait, Jun Pyo", she called out. "Just 5 minutes."

Jun Pyo rolled his eyes. "5 minutes is never 5 minutes."

She ignored his remark and ran back inside her house. She looked for something nicer to wear and decided on a cute white sweater dress with a gigantic black ribbon near the hem. She put on black leggings and black ankle boots. She ran a hand through her hair and checked her reflection in the mirror.

 _Okay, I look..nice._

She threw on her coat and grabbed the pair of gloves that Ji Hoo had given her. She smelled it fondly before she put it on.

When she came out, Jun Pyo was leaning against the car checking out his watch. He didn't even notice she had changed. He kept chatting about all the changes going through with Shinhwa – which were all good for the company. The JK Group's help a few years ago had had a huge positive impact on their reputation. She thought about her Jae Kyung unnie and couldn't help but smile. Jae Kyung had called her a few times the last few years – mostly just to ask how she was doing. She had also told her stories about Jun Pyo when they were in New York together. Jan Di frowned. She wasn't sure why, but she never felt jealous that the two of them spent a bit of time in New York together, considering their history. Maybe she trusted Jun Pyo. Or maybe she trusted Jae Kyung. She wasn't sure. She shrugged it off.

"...so, when we move to New York..." Jun Pyo chatted on.

This brought Jan Di's attention back to Jun Pyo. "Umm...what?"

Jun Pyo gave her an I-knew-you-weren't-listening-to-a-word-I-said look.

Jan Di glared at him. "We're moving to New York? As in, _me_?"

Jun Pyo rolled his eyes. "Yes. I've been talking about it for the last 10 minutes!"

Jan Di was silent for a moment. Everything she had known and loved was in Korea. She wasn't sure she was ready to move...yet. She didn't mind when she visited other countries. But to actually leave for good...

They arrived at Jun Pyo's house before she could say any more. She saw the F3's cars parked outside the house and she wondered if maybe Yi Jung had brought Ga Eul too. She hoped he did. Ga Eul and Yi Jung had been spending a lot of time lately and between work and school, Ga Eul had been ridiculously busy also so they hadn't seen each other in a while.

Jun Pyo grabbed her hand and held it as they walked towards the dining hall. She could hear voices as they approached.

They all stood up as she and Jun Pyo entered. She scanned the room until she found the face she was looking for. He sat on the right side of the table beside Woo Bin. He had cut his hair shorter since she last saw him – now it fell a little past his ears instead of his chin. He wore a muti-colored plaid shirt with the top two buttons undone so she could see his black shirt inside, and a deep navy coat on top. He smiled at her when they walked in, that smile that she missed so much.

Madam Kang sat at the head of the table, and Jun Pyo's dad was nowhere to be seen. Even though he had awakened from his coma, he still hadn't spoken much, and got tired easily so he rested most of the day. Jun Hee was nowhere to be seen either – Jun Pyo had told her she was busy with Shinhwa matters and that this dinner was just for them and their friends.

And apparently, Madam Kang.

Jan Di smiled widely when she saw Ga Eul sitting beside Yi Jung, across from Woo Bin and Ji Hoo. She sat beside Ga Eul so she could talk to her friend up close, and also so she could see her sunbae across from her.

They ate their dinner quietly (which was something called a filet mignon with mashed potatoes, gravy slathered all over it, braised carrots and a cream of broccoli and cheese soup). It was delicious. Jan Di ate happily, a little more comfortable now that she was eating with friends.

"So, Ji Hoo," Madam Kang spoke between bites, her gaze focused on Ji Hoo, "where were you planning on doing your residency again?"

Ji Hoo waited until he had finished chewing before he answered. "Canada."

Jan Di almost dropped her fork. Did he just say _Canada_? She tried to pretend she was uninterested, but the whole table had gone quiet so it was quite hard.

"Really, our Ji Hoo leaving Korea for Canada!" Yi Jung exclaimed. "Why Canada, Ji Hoo?"

Ji Hoo shrugged. "I have friends there. It seems a good place to go to."

Jan Di couldn't keep quiet anymore. "What about Grandfather?"

Ji Hoo looked at her. "He's coming with me."

"Oh", was all Jan Di could say. She was speechless. His residency would take a few years to complete and though she had never been there, she had heard of Canada. It was really far away from Korea.

"Hey Ji Hoo, you could come visit me and Jan Di in New York!" Jun Pyo piped in excitedly.

Ji Hoo just smiled and then he nodded.

Jan Di's eyes widened. She didn't know if she was going to New York yet.

 _No, no, no,_ her mind was screaming. _You can't leave. You just can't. I'd be so lost without you._ She had to bite her tongue so she wouldn't say those words out loud. She pretended to be really interested in the dessert in front of her. They had called it tiramisu. She ate it painfully slowly. Her mind was reeling; her heart was racing fast.

"What do you say, Jan Di?" Jun Pyo elbowed her. "You want to see Canada also? We can fly there too anytime we want."

Jan Di bit her lower lip. Ga Eul nudged her to answer. "Mmhmm...", she muttered.

"Of course," Madam Kang spoke again, this time, her eyes focused on Jan Di. "You can't leave before the wedding. You are the best man, after all."

Ji Hoo forced a smile. "I'll be there."

It felt like 100 years had passed until they finished dinner. She wanted to talk to her sunbae in private, but it proved almost impossible with Jun Pyo around and Madam Kang's watchful eyes on her. She was quiet on the way home as Jun Pyo dropped her off.

"What's wrong this time?" Jun Pyo asked, his brows furrowed.

She swallowed hard, gathering her courage to speak. She had been thinking a lot lately. "Jun Pyo," she began nervously, "I need some time to think."

"Wasn't that what you were doing this whole time?" He sounded annoyed.

"No," she continued, shaking her head. "I mean, I need some time for myself. By myself." They had been seeing each other every day for the last 2 weeks, and she hadn't had a chance to really sort out her feelings.

He frowned. "How long do you need?"

"Maybe a week?" she asked, uncertainly. Then she nodded. "A week. That's all I ask."

Jun Pyo's frown deepened. "And then what?"

 _And then I'll know,_ she thought. "I just need to know...if this is what I want." She said it so quietly, she wasn't sure he had heard her.

Jun Pyo arched an eyebrow. "If this is what you want? What the heck does that mean?"

"That's what I want to figure out." She said, even quieter than the last. "Please?" She looked at him with pleading eyes. He looked upset. Angry even.

Finally, he sighed.

"Whatever." He said, dryly. Then he raised his chin and looked into her eyes. "In exactly one week's time, I want you to meet me at the Namsan tower at 5pm. Did you get that?"

Jan Di nodded. Her eyes were brimming with tears. She couldn't believe she was doing this.

"That's when I'll know where I stand in this relationship," he demanded. "If you don't show up, then I'll know for sure." His voice had a warning tone in it that made Jan Di swallow hard, sniffing back her tears. "You better show up," he murmured, more to himself than to her.

...

After seeing Ga Eul at the Gu's dinner party the other day, Ga Eul had insisted she come for a sleep over on the weekend. They were much in need of a girl's night, and to catch up. She agreed, only because she missed hanging out with her friend, and because she was hoping to get her mind off thinking about her relationship issues. Or maybe because she hoped she could confide in Ga Eul somehow. Maybe an answer will pop out of the woodwork and her life can continue as usual.

That Saturday she sat on Ga Eul's bed, hugging a huge stuffed animal, a huge frown plastered on her face.

"Are you ok?" Ga Eul asked, worriedly.

She nodded automatically.

Ga Eul went to sit beside her and wrapped an arm around her. She leaned her head on Jan Di's shoulder. "Are you having second thoughts about the wedding?"

Jan Di decided it was time to talk to someone. She sighed heavily. "I don't think I'm ready to get married yet, Ga Eul."

"Why is that?"

"I'm too young...no wait, I still need to finish medical school." She thought for a moment. "I can't leave mother and Kang San by themselves." She paused. "I haven't really said yes. I..."

Ga Eul turned to face her. "You know, they say if you don't want to do something, you'll find excuses. But if you really want to do something, you'll find a reason."

Jan Di thought about this for a moment. She had been thinking a lot about why she was so conflicted about marrying Jun Pyo.

She looked back at Ga Eul. "Ga Eul, how did you and Yi Jung sunbae survive your long-distance relationship?"

Ga Eul was silent for a few minutes. Then she smiled, and her eyes lit up as she spoke. "I heard somewhere that when a man loves a woman, she becomes his weakness. When a woman loves a man, he becomes her strength." She sighed dreamily as she continued. "I don't know if I am his weakness, but I know for sure he gives me strength."

Jan Di looked away from Ga Eul. Her strength...she thought about who her strength was.

One image popped up in her mind. _Sunbae,_ her heart whispered. It was him. It had always been him, all these years. He had given her strength over and over again.

Could it be? Could she still have feelings for him? He was her first love, after all. But what about Jun Pyo? How did she feel about him? She loved him too, didn't she? She clutched at her head, dizzy and confused.

Ga Eul decided to play the movie they were supposed to watch that night. It was "A Walk to Remember", a classic. It was girls' night, after all. Jan Di was never a hopeless romantic, but she loved the movie nonetheless. After the movie ended, one scene kept playing over and over in her head. It was when Landon Carter was reading from Jamie's mother's book:

 _Love is always patient and kind. It is never jealous. Love is never boastful or conceited. It is never rude or selfish. It does not take offense and is not resentful._

She swallowed hard. Patient. Kind. Never jealous. Never boastful or conceited. Unselfish. Every word she heard reminded her of one person and one person alone.

 _Ji Hoo_ , her heart whispered.

Jan Di sat up straight, panting, as though she had been drowning and had just come up for air.

Ga Eul looked quizzingly at her. She stood up quickly and grabbed her coat.

"I have to go," she said to a perplexed Ga Eul. "I'll be back in a bit."

….

Jan Di ran most of the way to Ji Hoo's house, which would have been dangerous since it was winter, but for some reason, she made it there in one peace. She kept thinking about him as she ran, as if a light bulb had been switched on in her head.

 _You stupid, stupid girl,_ she scolded herself. She couldn't believe it took her this long to figure it out. She just hoped she wasn't too late.

She arrived at his house to find him sitting on the front porch playing his violin. His eyes were closed and he looked so calm she was almost sorry she had to interrupt him. He opened his eyes as she drew closer. She stopped to catch her breath. He cocked his head to the side, a baffled expression on his face.

"Jan Di?" he asked, uncertainly. Maybe he was hallucinating again?

Before Jan Di could respond (she was still gasping for air), he told her to come inside so she could have a hot cup of tea. She sat down, shaking nervously while holding her teacup, and kept stealing glances at Ji Hoo while he wrapped a fleece blanket around her shoulders.

"Everything ok?", he asked, his forehead creased with worry.

She just looked at him, noting every small detail of his face. He was so beautiful. He was wearing his glasses, and Jan Di figured he must have been studying earlier.

 _I think I love you,_ she wanted to tell him. _I love your smile, the way you care about me, the feeling I get when I'm with you. How you always appear when I need you. With you, I don't have to work so hard to be happy – it just happens effortlessly._ Her mind raced. But she couldn't put it into words. She was never much for expressing her feelings, much less pouring her heart out in confession.

 _Does he still love me?_ She wondered. _I have to know. I need to know._

"Did something happen?" he asked, analysing her face. "Did you two fight?"

Jan Di shook her head. She _had_ to know.

"I don't know if I should marry Jun Pyo." She said it so softly she almost couldn't believe she had spoken them.

He stared at her, shock registered on his face. She turned to face him.

"Sunbae..." she began, gathering her courage to say the words, "is there… a reason why I shouldn't marry Jun Pyo?"

Ji Hoo's mouth formed a straight line. She could tell he was thinking of what to say.

 _Please give me a reason_ , her eyes pleaded. _Just one. Just give me one reason and I'll hold on to it and never let it go_.

Ji Hoo put both hands on either side of her face, stroking her cheeks tenderly. It sent electric currents all over her body. She gazed at him and felt herself tremble. _I love you,_ her heart screamed. _I'm pretty sure I do. I think I always have_. His face was inches away from her. She bit her lower lip for fear that she might lean forward and kiss him then and there.

It felt like forever before he answered.

"No." The word was like a knife through her heart. "Jun Pyo loves you, and will make you very happy," he continued on, while Jan Di wanted to crumple up and die. "You won't find a better man than him."

 _But I did_ , her mind protested. _He's sitting in front of me right now._ She turned away, unable to look at his face. Was she too late? Was his love for her all gone now?

"I better drive you home, it's getting late." He stood up and gave her shoulder a light tap. "I'm just going to tell Grandfather, ok?"

She nodded, numbly. He disappeared into Grandfather's room and Jan Di stood up. She glanced around absentmindedly, then noticed Ji Hoo's bedroom door wide open. She decided to take a quick peek.

She poked her head in, and her heart sank when she didn't see the painting she gave him hanging on the wall. Her knees felt weak, and she had to hold on to a table to keep herself steady. _I guess he really doesn't love me anymore_.

She was too late. She had been too stupid to realize it earlier, and now she was too late. She felt her world implode. She wanted to cry until no tears would come out.

…

Ji Hoo dropped a very crestfallen and quiet Jan Di off at Ga Eul's, as they were having a girls' night according to Jan Di. Ga Eul met them by the front door and had to practically carry Jan Di off inside.

Ji Hoo's brow was furrowed the rest of the way home. He kept wondering what it was that brought Jan Di there so suddenly. He debated whether to ask Jun Pyo, but if they were having issues he didn't want to make it worse.

When Jan Di had asked him if there was any reason why she shouldn't marry Jun Pyo, he almost blurted out that yes, yes there was. She should marry him instead. But he kept his mouth shut and thought of his conversation with Jun Pyo. He knew his friend loved her. He couldn't say what he really wanted to say.

He reached home, parked his car and rested his head on the steering wheel. He was exhausted. He didn't know how much longer he could keep his composure and his resolve. He decided to go inside and go to bed.

As he laid down on his bed, his fingers searched for the object he now kept under his pillow. He pulled the frame out and stared at it. He traced his fingers across the words written at the back. "My Sunshine", it read. He exhaled loudly and closed his eyes.

" _Your sunshine is a coward,"_ he said to no one in particular.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Jan Di sat on the couch at her house, watching a drama on tv that she paid absolutely no attention to. Her mind wandered elsewhere. Or rather, it was focused on someone. Her heart felt heavy, and she had no appetite, which worried her mother who kept asking her if she was sick. She clutched the massive Pusheen doll Ji Hoo had won for her at the amusement park tightly, as though afraid that it, too, would be lost to her.

When afternoon came her mother decided she had had enough of Jan Di's moping. She asked Jan Di to go out for a walk, and when Jan Di refused, she practically dragged Jan Di out of the house. They walked quietly side by side, with no particular destination in mind. Her mother kept glancing at her, but Jan Di was looking at the ground, lower lip sticking out, eyes as sad as a sick puppy. When they arrived at the park she and Ji Hoo frequently visited, her mother decided it was time to talk.

They sat down on one of the benches by the river. Jan Di didn't even realize until much later that it was the same bench she had found Ji Hoo sitting on when he had wandered off after Min Seo Hyun's engagement.

"My daughter," her mother broke the silence between them. "Something is bothering you. Care to tell me?"

Jan Di was surprised at her mother's tone. Normally, when her mother spoke to her it was either through a scream or a smack on the head because she did something wrong (or was about to do something wrong). Very rarely did her mother show the tender side that was facing her right now. Jan Di curled up to her knees and gave an almost imperceptible nod.

"I'm confused, umma. I'm so confused."

Her mother nodded, as though she expected her to say as much. She gave a huge sigh, then looked up at the darkening sky. "Do you know why I married your father?"

Jan Di was taken aback by her mother's question. "Because you love him?"

Her mother chuckled. "Aside from that." She was still looking up. "I don't know if you know, but I was a very good-looking girl when I met your father." Jan Di smiled at that. How could she forget? Her mother often reminded them of this. "I had many suitors. I didn't even like your father at first."

Jan Di cocked her head to the side. "Oh?"

"He was persistent though. And he never gave up on me. He did little things that I never noticed at first. And he made me laugh. Happy." Her mother smiled as she recollected the past. "Sure, I could have married someone rich and handsome. And mind you, sometimes I think about it too!" She elbowed Jan Di jokingly. "But in end, I found out I couldn't live without him." She turned to face Jan Di, then started stroking her hair tenderly. "What I'm saying is, I know that you have a choice to make. It's a hard decision, for sure. Either one would be great for our family. They're both ridiculously handsome, both rich, both love you..."

"Umma!" Jan Di scolded. "You're not really helping, you know." When she realized what her mother just said, she gave her mother a bewildered look. "How did you know?" She didn't think her mother knew she was torn in two.

Her mother smirked. "I'm more perceptive than you think. We all know about Jun Pyo, of course. Considering you're wearing that massive ring on your finger." Jan Di couldn't help but stare at the ring on her finger. "But I could tell, even from afar, that Ji Hoo is crazy about you too."

 _Was_ , Jan Di thought, sadly. _He was. Not anymore. I was too late._

Her mother continued. "No one does all those things if they didn't care. Though I guess your heart was too busy to notice."

Jan Di sighed bitterly. "I don't know where my heart is anymore, umma."

Her mother pulled her in for a hug. "If you want to know where your heart is, look to where your mind goes when it wanders."

Well, she knew the answer to _that_ question. Not that it would help her now.

"I don't know what to do, umma." She sighed, regretfully.

Her mother squeezed her shoulders. "Jan Di," she smiled at her daughter. "Don't marry the person you can live with. Marry the one you cannot live without."

…

On her way home from school the next day, Jan Di was startled to find a black car waiting for her in front of her house. Her first thought was that Jun Pyo had come to whisk her away somewhere. She walked cautiously towards it.

The door opened and Woo Bin stepped out. He was dressed in a black suit with a white shirt and grey tie. He grinned as he saw her approach. He motioned for her to get into the car, and she hesitantly obliged.

 _What's this?_ She thought. _Did Jun Pyo send him to fetch me now?_ But Jun Pyo was not inside the car.

"So how are things with Jan Di lately?" Woo Bin greeted.

Jan Di could only answer with a slight grimace. She was slightly on edge.

"Let's go somewhere to eat. My treat." He said, as though they did this all the time.

They drove to a fancy Japanese restaurant and sat in one of their private booths. Jan Di still hadn't said a word. Woo Bin decided to order the food for both of them.

"Woo Bin sunbae...is everything...ok?" She croaked, finally finding her voice. Woo Bin just flashed her a huge grin.

"Of course. I'm good. Busy. My father's been giving me lots of responsibilities lately, you know, because I'm apparently an adult now." He rolled his eyes. Then he noticed Jan Di's grimace. "I'm not here to scold you or beat you up. Relax, Geum Jan Di."

Jan Di felt her shoulders relax a little. The waitress brought a smorgasbord of food – mostly in wooden boats. She picked at some, then realized she was starving so she gobbled a few of them at a time.

Woo Bin watched her with fascination. "So Jan Di, how goes things? You excited for the wedding?"

Jan Di stopped chewing the piece of sushi in her mouth. _The wedding_ , she thought. They haven't even set a date yet (though Madam Kang kept insisting they do it soon). She sighed, closed her eyes and then spoke. "I don't know."

Woo Bin nodded. "You can tell me, you know. I won't say anything to Gu Jun Pyo."

Jan Di thought of all the times she had spent with Woo Bin. She decided that yes, he could be trusted.

"I'm not sure I want to get married."

"Ah." Was all Woo Bin said, as though he understood everything from what she just said.

Jan Di arched an eyebrow. "Ah? You mean you understand? You know?"

Woo Bin laughed. "I think the only people that don't know or notice are you, Jun Pyo and Ji Hoo."

Jan Di flushed with embarrassment. "Really?"

"Yeah. You three are so focused on each other, you've become blind to one another." He sighed. "Jan Di, do you remember the time you disappeared and lived in that remote fishing village?"

How could she forget that? "Uh huh."

"Well, Jun Pyo was a wreck. He became quite destructive with himself. You know, drinking lots, partying, sleeping all day - that sort of stuff. It's how he deals with things." Woo Bin saw a flash of guilt appear on Jan Di's face. "It's not your fault - that's just how he is." His eyes became sad as he continued. "But Ji Hoo's behavior that time scared me...I've never seen him like that before. He threw himself completely into his work - he would be up early, go to the Art Center, school, then Art Center. I don't think he ever napped. Or slept, to be honest. It wasn't like him at all." He shook his head, in disbelief. "And the moment he found out where you were, you know what that guy did?"

Jan Di couldn't utter a word. She hadn't known about this before.

"He rushed right to Jun Pyo and told him where to find you. He had made up his mind to go to you already, though. But he thought he should let Jun Pyo know so he could also go to you." A sad smile appeared on his face again. "But Jun Pyo was stubborn, so Ji Hoo left, alone. And you know what happened after."

He inclined his head and looked at her. "May I give you a word of advice, as a friend?"

Jan Di slowly nodded.

"I've known those two most of my life. They're both great guys. They're my bros, you know?" He smirked. "They're also very different, personality-wise. Jun Pyo's an extrovert, Ji Hoo's an introvert. Jun Pyo is aggressive, Ji Hoo is not. Both of them will love you with all their heart, though. Both of them will make you happy. You can't go wrong with either choice."

Jan Di was puzzled. This was the same advice she heard from her mother. Woo Bin noticed the look of confusion on her face.

"You need to make a choice, though." Woo Bin's face turned serious. "And you need to be honest with yourself. Because if you choose the wrong person, you'll just end up hurting all three of you in the process."

Jan Di didn't think she'd ever hear relationship advice from Woo Bin, who had a reputation of being a player. But his words were wise, and she pondered on them for a bit.

"If you choose Jun Pyo, Ji Hoo will still be there for you. He always will. That's just how he is. He won't hold a grudge." Woo Bin held a small teacup in his hands. "His love is unconditional." He stared at the little tea leaves that floated on his tea. "But if you choose Ji Hoo...I don't know if Jun Pyo will ever be able to get over it. You might lose him forever." He looked at her, his eyes deep and filled with sadness. "He's not used to losing, you know. I'm not saying choose him, because that decision is yours. I just want you to know what might happen when you choose one over the other."

She was silent as she reflected on what Woo Bin had just said.

Finally, she looked at him and gave a quick nod. "Thank you, Woo Bin sunbae. I will think about what you said."

Woo Bin dropped her off around 10 o'clock that evening. Jan Di paced back and forth in her tiny room, unable to sleep. Her mind was troubled, her heart was restless. Tomorrow she was going to make a choice that would alter her life forever. Her eyes caught the small box tucked under her desk. She pulled it out and carefully removed the contents. It was her "Box of Joy", as she called it, as it contained all the items that had made her happy these past few years. She took out the music sheets that she received from Ji Hoo one Christmas, the tag on the case of beef they had won during the Wedding Photography contest, the Lotus flower he had bought at the temple, a page filled with anatomy drawings that Ji Hoo had made for her to help her study for an exam. There were other small items in there too. At the bottom was the pair of shoes he had bought for her in Macau – the one that he bought with the first money he's ever made.

 _Everything he's given me, he's given it with all his heart,_ she thought, dolefully.

 _But Jun Pyo loves me too._ She touched the pendant on her neck.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

It was exactly one week since his ultimatum to Jan Di. Jun Pyo stood in front of Namsan tower, pacing uneasily back and forth. He kept glancing at his watch. It wasn't five o'clock yet. Jan Di still had time. Still, he couldn't help but be nervous. He wasn't so sure of himself lately anymore. Something had definitely changed between them. He wished it was back to the good old days when he just took what he wanted, or pursued it relentlessly until he had it. He had grown up a little these past few years. If there was one thing he knew he shouldn't force, it's love. To force someone to love you and be with you mainly because of guilt – it would not be love. Even he knew that kind of relationship would just make both of them miserable. Still, he couldn't imagine losing her. He would have to move away so as never to see her again.

He glanced at his watch again. It was now 2 minutes past 5. He looked around and muttered a curse.

Was she really going to do this to him? He heard footsteps behind him and turned around.

There she was, slowly walking towards him, her hands deep in her pockets. She had a pink scarf around her neck and a matching pink hat on her head. He gave a sigh of relief. He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text.

"Don't you own a watch?" he scolded, as she stopped in front of him.

Jan Di smiled, but the smile never reached her eyes. "Jun Pyo," she began, and Jun Pyo couldn't explain the sinking feeling he got in the pit of his stomach.

She took his hands and held them tight. They were cold, but not icy cold. He hadn't been waiting long.

"Gu Jun Pyo," she looked at him as she said his name, studying his eyes, his nose, his mouth, memorizing every detail of his face.

"What?" he asked, unsure of why he was trembling. It wasn't from the cold.

"I can't marry you."

The words hit him like a ton of bricks. He staggered back and almost lost his balance, but Jan Di grabbed his arm and steadied him up.

"What are you saying, Geum Jan Di?" His mind was a whirlwind of emotions. "Why are you here then?"

She gave him the saddest smile he had ever seen. "I just wanted to see you...one last time."

She took his left hand and very tenderly placed the ring and necklace he gave her on it.

He shook his head in disbelief. "Are you for real?" He took a step away from her. "Are you really saying what I think you're saying?"

She bowed her head, unable to look at him now. "I'm sorry, Gu Jun Pyo." It took all her courage to say what she had to say out loud. If she looked at him now and saw his face she might take it all back. "I did love you. I just wanted you to know that. And a part of me will always love you."

Jun Pyo didn't know whether he was angry or not. His mind was still in shock. When his senses finally recovered, he realized that he knew all along that this was coming. " _Ji Hoo_ ," he whispered.

Jan Di didn't reply. She just stared at the ground, tears streaking down her cheeks. She couldn't believe what she just did. "I'm sorry," she kept muttering.

Jun Pyo exhaled loudly, lifted his chin and started walking away from her.

"You'll regret this," he said, though Jan Di could tell he didn't mean it as a threat.

She collapsed on the ground and started sobbing hysterically.

…

Ji Hoo sat on his front porch playing his violin. He had been playing a lot lately – it helped him relax. He was roughly aware of the ultimatum Jun Pyo had placed on Jan Di. Jun Pyo had called him right after, and had told him about it. They both decided to give her some space, even though she didn't ask him to. Jun Pyo had told him that if she showed up at 5, then she was still his. He had gotten his text message a few minutes after 5. All it said was, "She's here", but it felt as though someone had punched him in the gut. A part of him still hoped...but once again, his hope had been dashed.

He looked at his watch. It was almost half past 6. He continued playing a sad, sweet melody that he thought was perfect for what he was feeling at the moment. He closed his eyes and lost himself in the melody.

When he opened his eyes, he found Jan Di standing in front of him.

She was crying, and her eyes were puffy, as though she had been crying for hours. He put his violin down and walked towards her to pull her in for a hug, to comfort her, but she raised her hands up to stop him. A flash of hurt briefly registered on his face. Jan Di shook her head. If she didn't say this now, while she had the courage to do so, she would never be able to say it.

She took a deep breath, wiped the tears from her cheeks with her sleeve and looked straight at him.

Ji Hoo stood there nervously, afraid of what was coming. Was she saying goodbye? Was this it?

"I chose you," she said, staring into his eyes.

His face registered the look of utter surprise. He opened his mouth to speak, but she shook her head.

"No, please, let me finish. Or I'll never be able to say this again."

Ji Hoo stood still as a statue, lips pursed, afraid to move.

"I chose you, Ji Hoo. I couldn't marry Jun Pyo. Not when my heart belonged to you."

Ji Hoo wasn't sure if he was dreaming or having hallucinations again. Still, he didn't move. His face was expressionless.

"I fell in love with you because of the million things you never knew you were doing," she continued, holding back tears. "When I thought about my happiest moments, I saw you there with me. When I thought about the saddest times in my life, you were there to comfort me. You've always done things for me without expecting anything back. You've wiped away my tears, held my hand, and you've given me strength I never knew I had. You loved me even when I was unlovable. I have completely fallen in love with you. Everything you do, everything you say, everything you are. You're my first thought in the morning, and my last thought before I fall asleep, and you're my every thought in between." She stepped even closer to him, until she was a feet away from him. "I realized now, that I can't live without you." He stood there, looking at her, still unmoving. Jan Di had never spilled out her emotions before. Nor had she ever made a confession like this before, considering she wasn't sure how Ji Hoo felt about her now. She decided to go for broke. "I just wish I realized this earlier," she said, regretfully. "I just hope that one day, you'll learn to love me again." She turned away from him, unable to face him any longer.

There, she had spilled her heart out. She had said what she needed to say. She started walking away from him, tears still streaming down her face.

"I never stopped," she heard him say, though it was so soft she thought she imagined it. She turned to face him and he was looking straight at her.

"I have loved you from afar for so long, I can't even remember a time when I didn't love you." He said this with a sad smile.

Jan Di's heart leapt. She was sure it was doing somersaults in her chest. She felt overwhelmed with relief and her heart filled with joy.

Unable to contain herself any longer, she walked a few steps towards him, cupped his face with her hands, and kissed him softly on the lips.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Jun Pyo watched the scene unfold from the comfort of his car. He knew where Jan Di was headed after meeting with him. When Jan Di kissed Ji Hoo, he knew he should have been furious. Instead, he felt defeated.

 _What have I done?_ He asked himself.

He knew that a part of this was his fault, his own doing. He wanted to confront them, to scream obscenities at them, but he was rooted in his seat. He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. He knew it was over. No amount of screaming or threats would bring her back. He had lost her for good. And it didn't just happen today.

She was lost to him a long time ago.

"Young Master?" his chauffeur asked, interrupting his thoughts. "Shall we go now?"

Jun Pyo leaned his head back on the seat. "Let's go." He had no more reason to stay.

…

Ji Hoo stood there with his eyes closed, terrified. Jan Di's lips still touched his. He was terrified that if he opened his eyes she would vanish, and that everything that just happened would have just been a dream.

Jan Di stepped back and smiled shyly at him. He opened his eyes slowly and exhaled loudly when he saw her still standing there.

"You're...real." He said this almost to himself, but she gave a nervous laugh.

He reached out to caress her face and stroke her hair, as he still couldn't believe this was happening to him. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, and his mind finally accepted the fact that this was real. He hugged her back and gave the biggest smile he had ever given in his entire life. His heart felt like it had wings – he was ready to fly.

They stood there for a long time, arms around each other, just enjoying this precious moment in time when they've finally found and accepted their love for each other.

 _I got lost in him_ , Jan Di mused, contentedly. _But it was the kind of lost that was exactly like being found._

Grandfather watched the two lovebirds wrapped in each other's arms outside his bedroom window. He grinned to himself.

 _Finally,_ he thought, relief coursing through his body. He looked up to the sky and muttered a quiet _Thank you._

…

"Are you ready?" Jan Di asked, excitedly. Ji Hoo nodded and took the picnic basket from her hand. Jan Di had decided to treat him to a picnic as their first official date together (well, technically, it was the second, but the first didn't really count).

She sat on the front passenger seat of his car, the picnic basket on her lap. She looked at Ji Hoo, and thought about how she got so darn lucky to end up with him. She took his free hand and locked their fingers together. Ji Hoo gave a quick glance, smiled and squeezed her hand. He drove often nowadays, his fear of driving completely gone.

"What did you make?" Ji Hoo glanced at the picnic basket on her lap.

"You'll see, just be patient!" she scolded merrily.

When they arrived at the picnic site, Ji Hoo laid a huge blanket out on the grass and put the picnic basket smack in the middle. They both sat down, and Jan Di began unpacking the basket. She made him all sorts of dishes – and his eyes widened as she opened up each container.

"I'm going to have to start working out again if you keep this up," he teased, while eating.

She beamed at him. "Maybe I'm trying to fatten you up so no one steals you from me."

Ji Hoo laughed. "They can try, but they won't succeed." He winked at her and Jan Di blushed.

After they had eaten and packed away the picnic basket, they just sat there reading, without a care in the world. Jan Di looked up at the sky. It was cloudy and dark, though it wasn't even noon yet. It even looked as though it was going to rain. The sun was almost nonexistent. And still, to her it felt like it was one of the brightest days she had ever seen in years.

 _I have my sunshine with me_ , she thought, happily.

There weren't that many people around that day due to the weather and it suited them both just fine.

"What are you looking at?" Ji Hoo looked up, trying to find what Jan Di found so interesting up there.

"Nothing," she smiled. She was sitting down, his head on her lap, and he was reading a medical magazine. She had her textbook open by her side. They had talked about doing her clinicals in the same hospital he was going to do his residency in. She had asked him if he was still going to Canada, but he said only if she wanted him to, and of course she would be coming along if he did. She hadn't decided yet, but she was certainly open to the possibility.

She looked down and noticed he was staring at her. She frowned. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

He reached up to touch her cheek. "Sometimes I keep thinking that this is all a dream, you know. That I'm probably in a coma somewhere."

She pinched his nose playfully. "What if you are?"

"I don't ever want to wake up," he grinned.

She stroked his hair gently, realizing that for the first time ever, she was truly, genuinely happy.

"Ji Hoo," she began, itching to ask a question that's been on her mind lately.

"Hmm?" he murmured, his eyes closed and his face a picture of utter contentment.

"When did you start liking me?"

Ji Hoo pretended to think for a moment.

"I think it was..." His face was scrunched up deep in concentration. Then a huge grin appeared on his face. "When you beat up Jun Pyo. It was definitely then. I thought to myself, 'This is the girl for me! This is definitely the one I want to marry one day!'" Jan Di giggled and he laughed with her.

She noticed a flash of gold around his neck. It was the necklace he wore with his mother's ring on it. His hand went to the ring when he saw where she was looking. She looked away, embarrassed.

"I didn't want to scare you by giving this to you so soon." He explained, as he held the ring up for her to see.

She arched an eyebrow. "Were you thinking of giving that to someone else then?"

He sat up quickly and took her left hand. He looked at her for signs of hesitation but couldn't find any. She gave an almost imperceptible nod and he could see in her eyes how much she loved him. Wordlessly, he slipped the ring on her ring finger. It fit perfectly. His smile widened, and for a brief moment she saw his eyes glistening on the brink of tears. She smiled and gingerly touched his cheek.

He kissed her gently on the forehead. "I love you. _Saranghae Geum Jan Di,_ " he whispered, which sent shivers down her spine.

"I love you more," she said, staring straight into his eyes. He leaned over and kissed her, ever so gently on the lips. She returned the kiss, feeling the warmth of his lips, and the outpouring of love behind it.

And then it started to rain. She felt the trickle of raindrops on her skin, but she didn't want to open her eyes, or to pull away from him. If he noticed the rain, he didn't show it either. Finally, after a few blissful minutes, he pulled away. He gave her a crooked smile. "We should probably go." The rain was pouring harder now. He took off his jacket and covered her head with it, and he held her hand as they walked back to the car.

 _Not many people are lucky enough to find their soulmates_ , she reflected, as they drove home.

 _Even less end up with their first love._

 _I'm more than lucky not only to have found my soulmate, who also happens to be my first love, but also to end up falling in love with him all over again._

 _He is my best friend, my firefighter, my sunshine._

 _My happy ending._

* * *

 _~End of Part 1~_

***Author's Note: **A bonus chapter has been added as Chapter 17 for your added enjoyment! So read on to the next chapter! :) **

Hope you liked it! Please leave a comment so I'll know someone else read this.


	17. Chapter 17 (Bonus Chapter)

**Bonus Chapter: The Double D**

 _(To thank everyone who has reviewed this story, I wrote this bonus chapter tonight. Enjoy! :)  
Really, I had no idea others would appreciate and like this story. I just wanted to give Ji Hoo a happy ending.  
Thank you for your kind words! If you haven't reviewed it yet, please do so - it makes my day! :)  
Take care and thank you in advance!  
Well, off to bed I go! - cutestuff024 Oct. 11, 2018)_

Jan Di waited anxiously by the door. She had been pacing back and forth for the last ten minutes.

"You're going to burn a hole on our floor the way you're going," her mother noted, amusement evident in her eyes. "It will be fine. Just relax."

Jan Di stopped pacing and looked at her mother. Her mother was usually the panicky one, but ever since Jan Di had started dating Ji Hoo she had become a lot calmer and happier, just like her.

"What if they don't like it there, umma?" She asked, worriedly. "What if they don't enjoy it?"

Kang San rolled his eyes. "I think you could take Ji Hoo to the garbage dump and he'd still enjoy it, as long as he's with you."

Jan Di looked mortified for a moment, until she realized Kang San was making a joke. She threw a pillow at him and missed, as he ducked out of the way, chuckling. She made a move to chase after him, but then the doorbell rang.

 _He's here_ , she thought, panic rising inside her, her heart beating faster. Why was it that she gets so excited and nervous every time she sees him? She took a quick glance at the full length mirror by the door. She wore a cute red baby doll top, a slightly above the knee jean skirt, and the pair of shoes Ji Hoo had given her in Macau. She ran a hand through her now shoulder length hair and nodded approvingly at her reflection in the mirror.

She took a deep breath and then opened the door.

Ji Hoo stood there holding a huge basket of fruit, a crooked smile on his face. Jan Di's mother's eyes lit up when she saw Ji Hoo. He handed Jan Di's mother the basket and she gratefully accepted it.

"You should stop bringing things every time you come here," she whispered to Ji Hoo as she closed the door. "You're spoiling them too much. With all the flowers and fruits you've brought, Kang San even considered starting a fruit and flower stand."

Ji Hoo looked thoughtful for a moment. "That's not a bad idea, actually."

Jan Di shook her head, but she was smiling. She paused, and looked at Ji Hoo's clothes. He wore a cream collared shirt under a navy vest, with a preppy grey coat on top and a pair of expensive looking jeans.

"Aren't you a little overdressed for this?"

"You said the most casual clothes I have. This is it. Unless you wanted me to wear sweats and a hoodie?" Ji Hoo looked confused.

She shook her head. "Never mind." She got into the passenger seat of his car. "Are they there yet?"

Ji Hoo shook his head. "Yi Jung's just on his way to pick up Ga Eul. He called me to ask the same."

The Double Date was the boys' idea. They were comparing notes on where they've taken their girlfriends one day, and they both thought that going on a double date would be great as it was something they hadn't done before. The girls were thrilled with the idea, so when Yi Jung jokingly remarked he wanted to see what "commoners" did on dates, Ga Eul and Jan Di told them they would happily plan it. Not that Jan Di had a lot of experience going on "commoner" dates (the only two people she'd gone out with were not even close to being a commoner) but Ga Eul had some ideas so she agreed (albeit, with reservations).

They arrived at the restaurant ten minutes before Yi Jung and Ga Eul. Ga Eul wore a cute little lavender dress that was slightly below the knee. Her hair was now waist length and Jan Di beamed as she noticed the hair clip she had given her one Christmas pinned delicately on her hair. Ga Eul smiled widely when she saw Jan Di and ran to hug her tightly.

"One would think you girls haven't seen each other in years," Yi Jung commented, though he was grinning.

Jan Di couldn't help but sigh. Yi Jung wore almost the same style as Ji Hoo, except instead of a pair of jeans he wore grey dress pants.

Ga Eul rolled her eyes when she noticed Jan Di's face. "Don't ask. Apparently, he doesn't dress down."

 _Oh well, here goes nothing_ , Jan Di thought as the four of them entered the restaurant.

Well, it wasn't exactly a fancy restaurant, by all means. The four of them sat around a table with a bbq grill in the middle. Ji Hoo and Yi Jung watched in fascination as Jan Di and Ga Eul cut some pig skins into one-inch strips and then tossed them onto the grill. Jan Di kept glancing nervously at the boys but they just sat there, looking very much amused, and ridiculously out of place. They stood out like a sore thumb. The tables around them kept staring at their table, and their waitress checked on them every five minutes, mostly to chat with the boys.

"So…" Yi Jung began, his dimples gracing his cheeks, "this is where regular people go on dates?"

Ga Eul flipped some pork skins on the grill. "This is where normal people go. Dates or not."

"But there's so much meat on a pig! Why are we eating the skin?"

"Because it's delicious." Ga Eul took a small piece of still steaming pig skin, blew on it, and then offered it to Yi Jung. He looked at it doubtfully, but eventually started eating it.

"So…?" Ga Eul and Jan Di both stared at him eagerly. Ji Hoo watched silently, curiosity apparent on his face.

"It's...interesting," Yi Jung smiled, and Jan Di saw Ga Eul blush. _They're so cute together_ , she thought, so happy for her friend.

Jan Di glanced at Ji Hoo, who was concentrating on grilling a few pig skins. He had insisted he grill them for her, even though he had never done them before. She offered him some guidance now and again, so he wouldn't burn the skin to a crisp.

He proudly held one up with his chopsticks and offered it to her. Jan Di shook her head.

"You first," she said, a smile playing on her lips. She picked one up, blew on it, and quickly shoved it into his mouth. Ji Hoo happily started chewing, then stopped abruptly.

"What?" Jan Di asked, apprehensively.

"It's not bad," he replied, as he took one piece, blew on it and then fed it to her. Jan Di ate it, pleased with herself. She took another piece and fed it to him, without thinking. Then she noticed Yi Jung and Ga Eul gaping at them. For a moment, she had forgotten they were there.

She flushed, embarrassed.

"Hey, don't mind us," Yi Jung teased. "We're just, you know...people...with eyes!" He winked at her, and Jan Di turned even redder, if that was possible.

Ga Eul elbowed Yi Jung subtly, but he gave a loud yelp. Yi Jung chuckled. "I never thought I'd see this day!" he cried, loudly. Ga Eul glared at him, but Yi Jung was on a roll. Before he could tease them some more, though, Ga Eul picked up a couple more pieces of pig skin and stuffed it in his mouth, rendering him unable to speak. She looked at Jan Di apologetically.

Ji Hoo laughed. "Your day will come too, Yi Jung!" He picked a piece and fed it to Yi Jung, who then fed Ji Hoo back, while making kissing noises.

Ga Eul just shook her head, but she was smiling as she leaned over to whisper in Jan Di's ear. "Do you think they're ready for chicken feet and intestines?"

Jan Di bit her lower lip and shook her head. "I think we should start them easy," she whispered back.

After dinner they decided to head over to the Karaoke bar. Ga Eul thought that they should go to where there were lots of people, as just the four of them sitting in a private room wouldn't be much fun. Considering the fact that she knew that most of them could sing really well, she knew Ga Eul was right. It was only fun to embarrass yourself in private if you were a terrible singer.

Outside the bar, Jan Di noticed they had a crane (or claw) machine – where you insert a coin and then use the crane to pick a stuffed animal. Ga Eul squealed in delight as she saw a small, pink Octopus stuffy right underneath the crane. Ji Hoo elbowed Yi Jung, pointing to the machine. Yi Jung got the hint, inserted a coin in, and tried to grab the Octopus. It took him less than 10 tries, then he proudly handed Ga Eul the small Octopus. She beamed at him and Yi Jung just shook his head, although Jan Di could tell he was quite proud of himself.

"You know I could have bought you ten of those without going through that, right?" Yi Jung said, pointing at the machine.

"But this is special." Ga Eul beamed. "You won this for me!" She gave the Octopus a little kiss on the forehead.

"Hey, I'm the one that won that for you!" Yi Jung exclaimed. "How come the Octopus gets the kiss?"

Ga Eul made a face. "Because the Octopus is cute." Yi Jung frowned, pretending to be hurt, but Ga Eul just gave a short laugh.

Jan Di tried very hard not to look interested in the machine. She knew that one look and Ji Hoo would try it too. She didn't want him to waste his time and money on the machine.

"Hey Jan Di, isn't he your favorite too?" Ga Eul pointed at another Octopus hidden in the corner of the machine. Jan Di's glance automatically went to the machine before she realized.

"I guess it's my turn?" Ji Hoo asked, inserting some coins into the slot.

She shook her head. "No, no, I don't need one." She tried to pull him away but he was already hard at work, focused on capturing the little stuffy.

He tried several times, then frowned. The little Octopus stayed in its corner, taunting him.

"It's rigged, you know." Jan Di told him, hoping he would give up.

Yi Jung decided to rub it in. "Finally! Something I'm better at." Ga Eul glared at him, but Yi Jung was having too much fun. "Imagine Ji Hoo, with all his skills and talents, bested by a crane machine!"

Jan Di wanted to smack him. "Hush," she scolded. She pulled Ji Hoo's arm away. "Come on, let's go inside."

Ji Hoo tried a few more times, but no luck. He looked at her, then he turned to the machine, whispered _I'll be back,_ and followed Jan Di inside the karaoke bar.

Yi Jung and Ga Eul were already sitting at a table near the stage when they walked in. Yi Jung made a move to tease Ji Hoo some more, but Jan Di glared at him so strongly that he backed off.

The boys decided to get them some drinks so they headed to the bar. Jan Di glanced around. There were a few people, but it wasn't jam packed. A few of the girls had already noticed the boys and were pointing at them, some had even started to approach them.

Ga Eul cocked her head to the side and followed her gaze. "Jan Di, do you ever get jealous of all the girls that try to pry them away from us?"

Jan Di smiled, then shook her head. "Not really." She shrugged. "I guess I'm kind of used to it." She glanced at Ji Hoo, who was talking to the bartender. "Besides, I trust him." She turned to Ga Eul. "How about you?"

Ga Eul sighed. "Sometimes." She looked at Yi Jung, who seemed to have resumed teasing Ji Hoo. "I mean, he used to be a player. But he's changed a lot too." Ga Eul smiled dreamily. "He can be so sweet when he wants to be."

Jan Di flashed a smile as she took Ga Eul's hand and gave it a squeeze. "I'm so happy for you, Ga Eul."

Ga Eul turned to look at Jan Di. "And I'm so happy for you!" She gave Jan Di a hug. "I have never seen you this happy! I guess that's the result of being in love!"

Jan Di shook her head. "It's not being in love that makes me happy..." She glanced at Ji Hoo again. "It's the person that I am in love with that does."

Ga Eul gaped at her. "Ok, I never thought you'd be all sappy and romantic!" She giggled. "I like this new Jan Di."

Jan Di blushed a little, but continued. "Isn't it amazing how one day someone walks into your life and you can't remember how you lived without them?"

Ga Eul poked her playfully at the side, but then she sighed and looked at Yi Jung. The boys were on their way back to their table. "I can actually relate to that statement." She took Jan Di's hand and squeezed it again. "Jan Di, you and I are the luckiest girls alive to have ended up with them."

Jan Di nodded.

Ji Hoo and Yi Jung were walking back to their table when they saw the girls staring at them. Ji Hoo's smile widened as he whispered in Yi Jung's ear. "Yi Jung, how did we get so lucky to end up with them?"

Yi Jung elbowed him in the ribs. "Well, I know I'm charming and handsome, I'm not sure about you."

Ji Hoo elbowed him back. They reached the girls' table and handed them their drinks.

They watched and listened to some people get up on the stage to sing. Some were really good, others were terrible. They had fun all the same. Occasionally, Ji Hoo would disappear for a few minutes and then come back. Jan Di wrinkled her brows quizzically, wondering where he went. Finally, after his fourth disappearance of the night, Ji Hoo came back and triumphantly handed her the small, pink Octopus.

Jan Di's eyes widened but she beamed at him.

"You probably could have bought an entire crane machine with all the money you spent to get that, you know?" Yi Jung was not letting Ji Hoo off the hook that easily. "That is one _expensive_ little Octopus."

Ji Hoo just glared at Yi Jung, then both of them burst out laughing. Jan Di clutched the little Octopus tightly.

Finally, someone grabbed the microphone and announced that they were having a talent competition that night. The prizes were nothing to be excited about, but Jan Di's ears perked at the thought of a competition.

"The winners will be picked by the audience," the announcer declared. "Whoever gets the most votes will win the prize."

Jan Di knew with absolute certainty that they would win if they joined.

A few people went up on stage to compete, some of them too drunk to even utter the words correctly.

"Are you sure you guys want to do this?" Ga Eul asked, looking from Ji Hoo to Yi Jung and back again.

Yi Jung shrugged, nonchalantly. "I think it's time we give this crowd proper entertainment, don't you think?" He winked at Ga Eul and Ga Eul blushed.

Ji Hoo and Yi Jung walked up to the stage. Ji Hoo grabbed a guitar that sat by the mic, then he adjusted the height of the mic until it was just right. Yi Jung grabbed another mic, adjusted it, and flashed the biggest grin towards them.

"Can he actually sing?" Jan Di asked, pointing at Yi Jung.

"Yes, he's actually pretty good," Ga Eul answered. "He tried singing for me once to cheer me up. I've heard him play the saxophone, too." She looked at Jan Di. "What about Ji Hoo?"

Jan Di smiled. "They are SO going to win this."

As soon as Ji Hoo started to play and sing, the crowd went wild. Yi Jung and him sang a duet, and Jan Di was brimming with pride as she watched the two of them on stage.

Ga Eul watched in amazement. "They're not good. They're amazing!"

The girls around them crowded closer to the stage, some of them chanting "F4!", others just swooning dreamily at them. Jan Di noticed a group of guys to the left of the stage looking none too happy at having been left by their girlfriends to swoon over the boys. They were glaring at Ji Hoo and Yi Jung, but their girlfriends didn't seem to care.

"All they need is Woo Bin and Jun Pyo and they can form their own band!" Ga Eul piped in, cheerily. At the mention of Jun Pyo, Jan Di's expression changed. Ga Eul looked apologetically at Jan Di.

Jan Di shook her head. "It's ok."

Ga Eul gently touched her arm. "Is he still not talking to either of you?"

Jan Di nodded, slowly. "Ji Hoo's been trying to reach him, but I guess he needs time."

"How are you holding up?"

Jan Di faced her friend, her eyes sad. "I feel bad for him." Then she looked at Ji Hoo up on the stage and her eyes lit up. Ji Hoo looked at her as he sang, a huge smile plastered on his face. _He has the most adorable eyes you could ever fall for, and the cutest smile that takes your breath away,_ she thought.

She turned to Ga Eul again. "But I don't regret my decision."

…

True enough, the boys won with a standing ovation. The cheers were so loud and deafening Jan Di had to cover her ears while the winners were announced. The boys walked back to their table and handed them the prize vouchers – some free passes to the cinema and free dinner at a local restaurant.

"In case we want to do this double date thing again," Ji Hoo winked at her, pointing at the vouchers. "Although it's only for two people, so I guess you and Ga Eul can't come."

"Ji Hoo, my man, did you just make a joke?" Yi Jung laughed. "If you're not careful you'll turn into me."

"And what is that?" Ga Eul asked, an eyebrow arched playfully.

"Charming." Yi Jung answered, without hesitation. All four of them burst out laughing.

They decided to take a stroll around the city, both couples walking arm in arm. When they passed a dark alleyway, two guys stepped directly in front of them.

"Who do you think you guys are, huh?" One of them asked. Jan Di could smell his breath. He was obviously very intoxicated. "How dare you try to steal our dates?"

Yi Jung looked amused as he turned to Ga Eul. "Hey Ga Eul, I didn't know you were also dating beer breath here?"

Ga Eul poked him in the ribs. She shook her head at the men. "I think you made a mistake, sir."

"You pretty boys think you could steal all the attention just because you can sing huh?" bellowed the second guy, a tall and stocky guy Jan Di guessed to be just a few years older than Ji Hoo.

Jan Di was starting to get a very bad feeling about this.

"Let's just go," she whispered in Ji Hoo's ear. Ji Hoo nodded, then started walking, but the guy grabbed Jan Di's arm and pulled her back. Ji Hoo's eyes widened and his nostrils flared.

"Let her go," he said, through gritted teeth. He was clenching and unclenching his fists at the side.

"I'd do what he says if I were you," Yi Jung called out, a warning tone in his voice.

The first guy laughed and pulled Jan Di closer. Ji Hoo took a step forward, but Jan Di shook her head. She turned to face the guy, trying very hard not to breathe so she wouldn't smell his breath. "Please let me go. We don't want trouble."

The first guy laughed again. He was wearing a red baseball cap, but Jan Di guessed he couldn't have been much older than them either. "Aww...that's cute. Your girlfriend's worried for you." He smirked at Ji Hoo.

Jan Di made a face. "Actually, I'm worried for you guys." She had seen Ji Hoo and Yi Jung fight. Even though she didn't know these guys, she knew that Ji Hoo and Yi Jung would win hands down. The other guys were too intoxicated to worry her.

"I'll say it again one more time, in case you didn't hear me." Ji Hoo's tone was serious. "Let her go, and we won't hurt you."

The two guys sneered at them. Ga Eul watched in horror, but Yi Jung stood beside her, arms crossed in front of him, still looking slightly amused.

Jan Di tried to squirm her way out of the first guy's grasp but he squeezed her arm, and Jan Di couldn't help but give a little gasp.

The guy didn't even know what hit him. Ji Hoo's fist landed smack in the middle of his face, and he found himself sprawled on the ground, face down. The second guy tried to punch Ji Hoo from behind, but Yi Jung was there before he could even raise his fist. He gave a loud yelp as Yi Jung pinned his arm behind him.

"Are you ok?" Ji Hoo asked her, as he looked her over with care. Jan Di nodded.

"Let's just go." She said, before things got worse.

Yi Jung let the other guy go, and he bent to help his buddy up. Both of them muttered something unintelligible, but Yi Jung just laughed and pretended to throw a punch at them. The two guys started running as fast and as far away from them as possible.

"Well, I must say, this is one of the most entertaining dates I've ever been on," Yi Jung remarked. "Commoner dates are interesting."

Jan Di couldn't help but glare at him. She noticed Ji Hoo lean over to whisper something in Yi Jung's ear. Yi Jung simply nodded, then he pulled out his phone.

They were walking back towards the car when someone hit Ji Hoo from behind and he collapsed on the ground. Jan Di screamed in horror, as she bent down to tend to Ji Hoo. "Are you ok?"

He was clutching his head, and there was a spot of blood in his hand as he took it away. Jan Di looked up and saw two guys standing there. One was holding a stick.

Yi Jung raised his eyebrows, in disbelief. "You guys back for more?"

The first guy, whose nose still sported spots of blood, smirked at them. He had taken off his baseball cap. "We brought some friends with us. You guys think you can do that to us and get away with it?"

Yi Jung nodded. "That's what we were hoping, actually." He bent down to talk to Ji Hoo. "Bro, you ok?"

Ji Hoo nodded, though his head still spun. Jan Di checked him for signs of a concussion, but saw none. Still, she wanted to take him to the hospital just to be sure.

Jan Di stared in horror as eight more guys appeared behind the two guys they had confronted earlier. She knew that Ji Hoo and Yi Jung could probably take them, but some of them held weapons in their hands, and that worried her.

She stood in front of Ji Hoo, hands up in front of her and balled into fists, and narrowed her eyes at them. "You better not have hurt his precious brain permanently. If you come near him again, _I will end you_."

Yi Jung and Ji Hoo looked at each other, surprise evident on their faces.

"Remind me not to piss her off," Yi Jung whispered to Ga Eul. He stood protectively in front of Ga Eul, who looked terrified, but she nodded and tried to look brave.

Ji Hoo stood up and placed a hand on Jan Di's shoulder. "Calm down, Bruce Lee," he joked, though Jan Di was in no mood to laugh. "I'll be fine."

The first guy laughed at them. "You're severely outnumbered this time. Or are you guys hoping your girlfriends can help you?"

They all started laughing and poking fun at them.

Jan Di glanced at Ji Hoo, but instead of anger, she saw him grin.

"What are you smiling at?" one of the guys, a huge, muscular guy who towered over the others, asked.

Ji Hoo looked at Yi Jung and both of them smiled.

"You see, I also have a secret weapon..." Ji Hoo began, looking at each of their opponents in turn.

"Oh?" The first guy asked, unconcerned.

"His name...is Woo Bin."

…

The fight (if you could call it that), was over before it began. The boys didn't even have to pull a punch. Woo Bin and his men appeared and dispatched their opponents effortlessly.

Jan Di and Ga Eul watched in wonder, their mouths wide open.

"How did you know?" She asked Woo Bin after, who was grinning from ear to ear.

"I texted him right after those guys left," Yi Jung answered. "Ji Hoo thought those guys wouldn't be smart enough to leave us alone tonight, so I messaged him just in case." He patted Ji Hoo's back. "Turns out he was right."

"You guys should bring me on some of these dates," Woo Bin stated, his eyes lit up with excitement. "I didn't know they were this exciting."

Ga Eul and Jan Di both looked away, embarrassed. Ji Hoo and Yi Jung both laughed, but gave Woo Bin a thankful pat on the back.

"I think we've had enough excitement for a while," Ga Eul remarked, biting her lower lip. Yi Jung put an arm around her and asked her if she was okay. Ga Eul simply nodded.

"We should get your head checked," Jan Di told Ji Hoo, concern still etched on her face.

She heard some groans and moans around them. She turned to appraise the scene. Some of the guys were still lying on the ground, some groaning, while some were unmoving. She grimaced as she turned to face Ji Hoo.

Ji Hoo looked at her and understood. "I suppose you're right," was all he said. It amazed her how he could read her so well sometimes.

She sighed heavily, then went and inspected each guy to see how severe their injuries were.

Ga Eul, Yi Jung and Woo Bin shook their heads in disbelief.

"Is this how you doctors make money nowadays," Woo Bin remarked. "First you beat them up, then you treat them?"

Ji Hoo just rolled his eyes. "Trust me, a part of me just want to leave them here." He shone a small flashlight at one guy's eyes. "But the doctor in me can't."

Jan Di was bandaging another guy's arm. She always carried an emergency kit in her purse, something she learned at school. It came in handy at times like this.

Afterwards, she insisted on taking Ji Hoo to the hospital, where they did a quick check up and an MRI, and noted there were no serious injuries to his head.

The five of them walked out of the hospital, exhausted.

"Well, bros, I better go," Woo Bin pulled each of them in for a quick hug.

They each thanked him in turn.

"I meant what I said when I asked for an invite to your next 'commoner' date!" Woo Bin shouted as he got into his car. His men followed suit and left.

Jan Di heaved a sigh of relief. She couldn't even keep her eyes open anymore. She tried to stifle a yawn but failed.

"Let's go," Ji Hoo took her by the arm and led her into the waiting car. He was too exhausted to drive so he had called on his chauffeur. Yi Jung had done the same and he walked Ga Eul over to his.

"Hey Ji Hoo," Yi Jung called out, before he got into his car. "Next time, let's plan the date, ok?"

...

* * *

 _***Author's note: If you liked this story, I have written a Part 2 on the "How It Should Have Ended" series. It's called "The Continuation". You can find it if you click on my name and then under "My Stories". Thanks for reading!_

 _Thank you!_


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